The Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Holding Plc, Dr Demola Sogunle has applauded youths across the globe for their ingenuity and innovations in virtually every sector of the economy.
Just as he reiterate that “at Stanbic IBTC, our continued commitment and unwavering support for Nigeria and its citizens most especially the youth is paramount to us because Nigeria is our home, and we drive her growth”.
Dr Sogunle disclosed this on Thursday at the virtual opening ceremony of the 2021 edition of the Youth Leadership Series (YLS), with the Theme: “Winning”, he pointed out that the theme was specially designed to etch a winning mentality in the attendees and empower them to become future business leaders.
In his speech, he noted that “The innovative projects and tech disruptions championed by the youth in virtually every sector are proof of their ingenuity, skill, brilliance and resourcefulness. At Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, we believe in breaking boundaries, hence our tagline, IT CAN BE, which is hinged upon the premise that everything is possible as long as we are dedicated and put in requisite effort to make it work”.
With the statistics of over 50 percent of Nigeria’s population made up of youth, Dr Sogunle stressed that “as a nation, we should accord priority to harness their potentials and accelerate the country’s economic growth. The Nigerian youth require support, guidance and empowerment to propel them to the pinnacle of their various fields”.
He said “In 2018, the YLS was birthed as an avenue to engage and empower young Nigerians to become future business leaders. Four years on, we are still committed to the vision with every subsequent edition surpassing the achievements of the previous”.
Adding that “Our Corporate Social Investment initiatives at Stanbic IBTC are hinged on three pillars: Health, Economic Empowerment and Education. The Youth Leadership Series rests on our Economic Empowerment and Education pillars”.
“Other youth interventionist initiatives worthy of mention are our university scholarship scheme and Together4ALimb, our flagship CSI initiative. 88 (Eighty-Eight) students who gained admission into several tertiary institutions across the country benefitted from the university scholarship scheme”.
The Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Wole Adeniyi, in his closing remarks thanked the participants and panelists for sharing their wealth of experience to inspire the younger generation.
Noting that “It is our vision at Stanbic IBTC, to keep creating possibilities for the younger generation. With our continued commitment to helping people achieve their career goals, we hope that we have been able to spark your entrepreneurial mind to achieve your greatest aspirations”.
The program had three exciting and engaging breakout sessions: ‘Winning with Entrepreneurship, ‘Winning with Social Media’ and ‘Winning with Investment’. With carefully selected speakers sharing their experiences and expertise, also answering questions from participants at the various sessions.
The panelist includes: Olumide Soyombo, co-founder, Blue Chip Technologies; Tracy Batta, co-founder, Smoothie Express; Ife Agoro, blogger and founder, Diary of A Naija Girl (DANG) Network, and Debo Adedayo, popularly known as Mr Macaroni, an activist and social media influencer.
Other panelists are Shareefat Bakare, business executive manager and founder, Aspiring FitfFam; Yanmo Omorogbe, co-founder and director of Growth Bamboo; Dele Akintola, equity sales manager, sub-Saharan Africa, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers. And was moderated by Lehle Balde, senior strategy associate at BusinessDay.
