7 October 2017: A vibrant multi-stakeholder collective presentation in Lagos’ Ajegunle Community became an impressive demonstration of Communipreneurship and Integral Banking in practice
Trans4m Fellow Dr. Jubril Adeojo who graduated just 2 weeks ago in South Africa, convened, together with the Nigeria Youth Assembly, a joint presentation of the impact of the collective research-to-innovation he spearheaded, in the midst of Ajegunle Community in Lagos.
The 5hour program was hosted by Nigeria Youth Assembly and its chairman Ike Johnson – who opened by setting the scene, and by introducing Ajegunle Community. Known by many as the largest slum in Nigeria, he painted a picture of an able community ready to emerge from its lot, and prepared to take its destiny in its own hands – but would need support by committed institutions, as illustrated in this collective research.
James Ebube from Nigeria’s Center for Values in Leadership shared the contribution of CVL in this research, before Jubril Adeojo summarized to the audience the jointly developed concepts of Integral Banking and Communipreneurship. That was impressively followed by real life examples of Communipreneurs and their Business Mentors, all stemming from Ajegunle Community.
Trans4m Senior Fellow Dr. Basheer Oshodi, Co-Founder of Ciser, build in his subsequent speech on the communipreneurial energy demonstrated by participants, and stressed the importance to activate one’s own calling in order to release the full “zeal” and potential inherent in each person. That provided the platform for Trans4m Fellow Yusuf Adeojo to demonstrate to the audience how his own research-to-innovation is aspiring to take this collective journey forward within Ajegunle Community- backed up by a commitment of LSETF Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, represented by Wisdom Fijo.
Trans4m’s co-founder Alexander Schieffer then took the audience into the nature of Integral Development, and its translation into an African context – of which Communipreneurship and Integral Banking are potent examples.
Together with the three Baales as highest dignitaries of of Ajegunle Community, Schieffer then handed over the Trans4m CARE-4-SOCIETY AWARD, recognizing the collective PHD (Process for Holistic Development) Journey all present institutions had successfully travelled – resulting in tangible impact in the Ajegunle Community – powerfully affirmed by members of the community.
The life demonstrations of a number of young Communipreneurs – presenting their products and achievements – followed up by a visit of a few small communipreneur businesses was the culmination of a highly inspiring celebration of a collective achievement – in between Community (Ajegunle), Bank (Heritage Bank), Research Center (CISER), and various other institutions such as Nigeria Youth Assembly, Center of Values in Leadership, LSETF and Bank of Industry.
Trans4m Fellow Esther Shebi and her colleague Sister Julie from Jos, Northern Nigeria, who attended the BIG VIVA provided the blessing, and took with them the commitment to build up a similar inter institutional ecosystem, to drive Social Innovation in Northern Nigeria.
