Lagos Business School (LBS) hosted 40 talented young people today at the fourth edition of the Young Talent Programme (YTP). The bright candidates, comprising mostly of first class honours graduates, emerged the successful 10% of a highly competitive recruitment process.
The one-day programme gave the young talents the chance to receive first-hand information from faculty members and experts on the various career opportunities available to them in academia and industry.
Dr Uchenna Uzo, MBA Director and coordinator of the Young Talent Programme, said YTP is important to LBS because the School is constantly in search of talented young minds. “We are looking for young bright minds we can partner with, youths who we believe can shape Nigeria and Africa’s future. We believe if we catch them young, we will be able to achieve a part of our mission; which is to develop socially responsible and competent managers to lead the development of Africa” he concluded.
The programme kicked off with a welcome address by Dr Yinka David-West, Academic Director, Lagos Business School, where she encouraged the participants present, to aim for excellence in order to become the agents of change they wish to see in Nigeria “I am exceptionally delighted to welcome you all here today. It gives me joy, to see young people who are aiming for greater heights, we cannot continue to have a Nigeria that is centred on mediocrity, and at LBS our watchword is quality and high standards. We see you all as leaders of tomorrow the idea of this programme is to bring young people like you in and help stimulate your thinking on how to make an impact and solve the challenges and problems Nigeria faces” she said.
Participants in attendance were pleased with the knowledge they gleaned and acknowledged that it has changed their perspectives on pertinent issues. Khalid Garuba Mohammed, Lecturer, Bayero University, said “What I was thinking before I came here is different from what I have seen and observed, and it centred on how to become good leaders in all aspects of life. It has really changed my mindset and perspective, I am not only thinking about being a successful academician but also a successful businessman”. Ife Dolapo, Client Relations Officer, Bell Oil and Gas said “I have learnt the importance of service. The programme has made me see the importance of giving back to the society; case in point Lagos Business School. The School is extremely successful and it is not focused on making a profit but on developing and shaping people for the good of the community”.
Participants who had attended the Young Talent Programme in previous years had the opportunity to share their various experiences on how it greatly impacted their lives. Emmanuel Baba Uudku who attended the Young Talent Programme in 2016 said “I will not have been able to get to where I am today, if it had not been for the YTP, it has given me access to information and opportunities for collaboration. I work with other alumni on collaborative projects. There is also the perception and confidence that if Lagos Business School can invest in you, other organisations deem it fit to invest in you. Attending this programme has opened so many doors, I have been selected for two other major programmes on the basis of attending the YTP. The programmes include the Young Africa Leaders Initiative (YALI) and Mandela Washington Fellowship”. Onyinye Etoniru, a participant of the YTP 2015 edition, also attested to the impact of the programme on her life she said “The programme has been really impactful. Attending YTP gave me access to information and network. The programme helped me clarify what I really wanted to do, it made me decide whether I wanted to focus on academia or industry”.
The programme came to an end with a cocktail networking session.