In pursuit of the goal of the United Nation’s (UN) SDG 8 – full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men – the Kemak Foundation for Enhancing Sustainable Livelihood, a nongovernmental organization based in Nigeria, has held its 5th Fresh Graduate Summit at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The event which held on Monday, January 22, 2024, was attended by approximately 100 new graduates from STEM and non-STEM courses.
During an introductory session, the event’s moderators, Mr. Daniel Ogbu and Mrs. Cynthia Ohalete, mentioned that the attendees were mostly recent graduates from Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike and Ebonyi State University.
While making his presentation, Dr. Makuachukwu Ojide, Executive Director of the Foundation, stated that Africa’s economic outlook for the next ten years is positive. However, he expressed concerns about the long-term viability of that growth, stressing that one of the most significant challenges Africa faces, in the light of sustainable growth, is creating enough jobs for its growing young population.
To bridge this gap, the Kemak Foundation has been organizing annual fresh graduates’ summits since 2019 as the first step towards enrolling the participants in a 5-year mentorship. So far, approximately 750 graduates have benefited from the mentorship programme. Makuachukwu Ojide spoke, at the summit, on how to prepare a winning CV and cover letter, tips for successful interviews, and job search strategies in a competitive global economy.
According to him, research has shown that approximately 95% of graduates are rejected due to poorly prepared CVs. He advised the participants to be organized, punctual, sincere, humble but confident during job interviews. “Your self-confidence is among your strongest assets as a graduate”, he said.
A Zenith Bank team was led by Mrs. Ngozi Daniel Ajah, the bank’s relationship manager. She was accompanied by Mrs. Joy-Mary Chinagozim Onyemepu. The team trained the participants on work ethics, work plan development and management in corporate firms. Mrs. Ngozi stated that work ethics can be divided into two categories: general ethics and specific ethics. She discussed ten workplace ethics, which include professionalism, discipline, dedication, honesty, and respect for individuals, teamwork, assigned tasks and responsibilities, punctuality, loyalty, and initiative. She also covered the fundamentals of a good work plan, as well as techniques for setting smart goals and assigning tasks to others. “It is not doing everything the way you want it, but the right way to do things”, she stressed.
Barr. Peace Ossie Ben-Odo, a legal practitioner and relationship coach who spoke on the roles of communication in relationships and in the workplace, emphasized the importance of self-evaluation at all stages of life. She asserted that life begins and ends with relationships, and that everyone is predisposed to relate. “Communication can unite or divide persons and it’s compulsory everyone learns effective communication. Once you stop relating, you start dying” , she said.
Explaining the distinction between nurture and nature, she encouraged participants to intentionally nurture themselves in the way they wish to be. She emphasized the importance of intentionally developing good communication skills, stating that effective communication improves employee-employer relationships, aids coordination, and allows people to express their feelings and emotions productively.
In addition, Mr. Victor C. Ejims, a management consultant and Research Fellow with the Kemak Foundation, shared helpful tips for completing the one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. He divided the NYSC experience into three stages: before orientation camp, during orientation camp, and after orientation camp (place of primary assignment and community service), and discussed in detail how to maximize opportunities at each stage. The participants were encouraged to strive for the Presidential Award. Mr. Victor also explained to the new graduates how to avoid the post-NYSC depression syndrome. “Post-NYSC depression syndromes are real,” he explained.
Other speakers at the summit included Engr. Chukwudi Asiegbu, State Manager of the Bank of Industry in Ebonyi State; Pastor Don Anaba, State Director of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ebonyi State, who was accompanied by Dr. Ekea Awa Ekea, Head of Department, Small Scale Enterprises, NDE, Ebonyi State, and Prince Kenechukwu John, an Abuja-based entrepreneur.
While speaking on fundraising for startup businesses, Engr. Asiegbu encouraged new graduates to devote quality time to developing their business proposals, as the long-term survival of any business is heavily reliant on quality preparation. He mentioned that banks are hesitant to lend to start-up businesses without a viable business plans.
In addition, Engr. Asiegbu emphasized the importance of an elevator pitch (a compelling business presentation), relationship building, and business incorporation in the success of entrepreneurial ventures. The team from the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Ebonyi State addressed the question of “after school, what next?”
Pastor Don encouraged the fresh graduates to patiently learn self-employment skills, citing the scarcity of job opportunities. Reiterating Pastor Don’s position, Dr. Ekea discussed, among other things, the need for new graduates to apply what he called the 3Ds to a successful career: discover yourself, develop yourself, and deploy yourself. He stated that “every graduate is an architect of his destiny.”
Using his business experience, Prince Kenechukwu inspired the participants to take calculated risks in order to advance their careers. In his words, “Entrepreneurs are not born.” Anyone can be an entrepreneur if they are willing to take calculated risks. Entrepreneurship is both risky and rewarding, as it contributes to economic wealth, growth, and innovation. He advised the participants to focus on what he called the three key pillars of entrepreneurship: creativity (versatility), risk-taking, and proactiveness.
Earlier, Dr. Chiedozie Ojide, a consultant physician and Kemak Foundation board member, welcomed and congratulated the participants on their selection as mentees to be groomed by the experts facilitating the summit. He encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity to learn, unlearn, and relearn; and wished them a pleasant career experience. Certificates of participation were distributed at the conclusion of the event.
The participants, unable to contain their joy, expressed gratitude to the Foundation’s leadership for rekindling their confidence in pursuing successful careers. Isaac Favour Ngozi, a participant, stated that despite being an undergraduate for five years, she had never been exposed to the type of mind resetting experience she received at the summit. “During the eight hours of this summit, I learned things that would help me both in the short term and long term of my career. This programme has left an indelible impression on me. I’m now better prepared to face future challenges and deal with situations that I previously thought I couldn’t handle. Thank you so much, Kemak Foundation,” she said.
Ikechukwu Nwakpakpa, a recent law graduate, praised the Foundation for the quality of the facilitators who shared interesting life-changing experiences.
Miracle Nwoye described the summit as an inspirational experience. According to her, the event completely eliminated the phobia she had as a recent graduate. “I’ve developed the confidence needed for a successful career. God bless the Executive Director of the Kemak Foundation, Dr Makuachukwu Ojide, and his team,” she stated.
