Scholarship Application - Leadership Essay
Leadership Essay
My leadership skills continue to expand based on my life experiences. Just this year I was fortunate
enough to establish a company with some of my associates, Corporate INK Ltd, which will serve as a hub
for Nigerian writers while also providing advisory support to clients in the areas of media strategy and
market intelligence. Although I cannot claim to be the brain-child behind this business idea, I have
contributed my time, money and effort towards ensuring that the business eventually grows into a
successful venture that will provide jobs and income for many young Nigerians. Through this platform,
we plan to give numerous young Nigerian writers visibility within the local market and even
internationally.
I also began mentoring a few fresh graduates this year towards helping them find their professional
bearing in life as our local education system unfortunately does not help these young individuals
develop a sense of what they want to do after their time in the university. I know this because I had a
similar experience after my one year mandatory National Youth Service in 2012 which I was able to
eventually turn around by using the internet to seek and create growth opportunities for myself at the
time. Mentoring helps me give back to society by helping groom the next set of Nigerian professionals
and experts who will lead the economy into a prosperous future.
Since my graduation from secondary school, in 2005, I have frequently gone back to give lectures to the
students of the institution and in 2015 I featured in the school’s career-week. During this program I was
able to educate the students about a career in the Social Sciences, and as an Economist I relayed my
real-life experiences which they could draw knowledge from. However, my first ever talk given at the
school centered on the need for students to desist from partaking in exam malpractices during their
Senior High School Certificate Examinations. This is a major issue in the Nigerian education system as
even parents encourage their offspring by paying for question papers before the actual exam dates.
Hence, the system is in its current state of being far below global standards.
Upon leaving the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) I became an active member of its Trade,
Investment & Competitiveness Policy Commission (TICPC) – a sub-group that advocates private sector
led growth of Nigeria’s trade sector. As a member, I am charged with the responsibility of effectively
contributing to brainstorming sessions aimed at recommending solutions to Nigeria’s import
dependence. So far, the commission has successfully established key relationships with Development
Partners such as the German Enterprise of International Cooperation (GIZ) aimed at leveraging on
foreign support in its efforts to promote the long-term industrialization of the local economy.
I frequently volunteer my services to various courses and most recently got chosen by the British Council
to serve as tour guide to tourists attending the first edition of the Open House Lagos (OHL) event which
show-cased the very best of architecture across the city. I was head of my team stationed at Nestoil
Towers (one of the most iconic modern structures in Lagos) and the experience enabled me
socialize/network with professionals with backgrounds in architecture and real estate. Through this
platform we were able to revive certain abandoned tourist attractions such as the Iganmu Railway
Station that was the very first of its kind in Nigeria built during the colonial era.
Later this year, I will be rapporteuring at the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#22) where
deliberations concerning the importance of local production will take place. This opportunity was
earned based on my membership of the NESG’s Youth Integration Initiative that seeks to boost youth
participation in the annual NES discussions. As a part of this process, I am able to exchange knowledge
with a wide array of senior professionals from both Nigeria’s private and public sectors. Additionally, I
and a team of other rapporteurs will document outcomes of the event which will be presented to the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as recommendations for the government to apply towards
solving current issues the economy faces.
I believe playing the role of a leader entails serving those being led and in my quest to become a senior
public servant in Nigeria I require foreign exposure to enable me perform excellently. As earlier stated,
my leadership skills have been evolving and participation in the Schwarzman Scholarship program will
further contribute to this growth process. Meeting other young professionals from diverse cultural and
professional backgrounds will help mould me into the kind of leader required to make my country truly
a land of peace and prosperity.