Octagon Rooms
The Octagon: Welcome To The Octagon.
We appreciate you taking time out to Join this Chat Session which will end in 1 Hour. We have two moderators in the room who will only offer guidance where necessary. Please feel free to openly share your thoughts and experiences.
Let’s begin with some introductions before going into the discussion. Can everyone let us know who they are and share a bit about what they do ?
Inioluwa: Hi guys.. I’m IniOluwa Odekunle, Founder of PLANEN TEKAD a volunteer driven social enterprise. I am passionate about community building and ensuring children have the opportunity fulfill their true destinies.
Venya: Hello everyone. I am Ven Lannap founder and Lead of Bo Sita MADE, a youth developmental organization that is passionate about fighting sex trafficking…and the Founder and Director of Before & After School Academy a 3in1Child Care Centre: Creche, Pre-School and, After-School School of Performing Arts.
Buki: Hello Everyone my name is Olubukola Olukuewu, friends call me Buki. I’m a Sustainability enthusiast in its entirety. I believe in building lives and society
Uju: Hello everyone, my name is Obianuju Asika, a crusader, PR manager ad lifestyle lover. I believe strongly in community development and adding value to the society.
Bankole: Hi, my name is Bankole Ojo-Medubi. I’m an architect, carpenter and executive director at Westwood Works. But for the purpose of this conversation, I’m the COO for Fashion For Charity, an organization that uses the power of fashion, entertainment and the visual arts to help vulnerable people.
The Octagon: Over the last few years there has been an explosion of social entrepreneurship which have unfolded against the backdrop of increasing world crisis. Unlike the typical charities and non-profit organisations, social entrepreneurs develop innovative business models that blend traditional business with solutions that address societal problems. It is believed that charities exist to redistribute income from the haves to the have-nots while social entrepreneurship’s role in social value creation is to be a change agent through innovation. One of the main arguments for social entrepreneurship has been that it does not rely 100% on seeking donations and its workforce are remunerated.
Regardless of the disparity between the two, Africa in the last 10 years has experienced an increase in societal challenges, been more aware that its people are poor and is in need of long term solutions.
What would you regard as the key cause for some of the societal challenges faced in Nigeria? What are the top challenges Social enterprises and charities face in Nigeria?
Ini: I believe the key cause of societal challenges in Nigeria is the mindset
Buki: Nigeria as is common with developing countries is fraught with a lot of societal challenges; some of which I believe is caused by the quality of leaders we have had over time. It’s a vicious circle cause citizens become leaders and leaders become citize. It’s a common situation in Africa. But I believe we are on a journey out of this by God’s grace. Secondly I believe charities lack the support that they should get from Govt, Corporates and HNI. From my readings, societies that have their social enterprises and charities working have support from these entities. They have support structures like enabling policies which we lack here in Nigeria. Policies which are not being put in place and might probably be rejected because of lack of trust in our leadership and lack of accountability by leadership. This we saw when one of the senators tried to pass a CSR bill.
Uju: People today don’t ‘trust’ the term charity anymore and you won’t blame them. Most organisations use these as a money making scheme, to increase their profit margin per say. The introduction of the social enterprise makes value adding more believable because of its transparency and accountability. For the challenges faced, The economy today is harsh, I mean I live in Minna and it is difficult for them to survive – what is the government doing? So its a mixture of politics, governance and the economic situation. Our support system is weak.
Bankole: At the very root, everyone has experienced failed systems in Nigeria. So there is a massive distrust of the concept of the “common good”.