JCI, LBS sign MoU to develop capacity of young leaders

Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ikeja, has partnered with Lagos Business School (LBS) to train aspiring leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors across Africa.

The partnership is aimed at fostering knowledge, effective and responsible leadership, and providing beneficiaries with top-quality education, practical experience, and cross-cultural exposure.

This was disclosed at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between JCI and LBS. Speaking at the event, President of JCI Ikeja, Omowunmi Fakoya, said the partnership demonstrates the synergy between academia and the organisation.

She added that the agreement covers joint research, advocacy, and training programmes on various topics, including personnel management, leadership, strategy, organisational culture, operations management, sustainability principles, and ethics.

“The programme is opened to both members and non-members of JCI. Since 2005, over 600 early and mid-career professionals from Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo have benefited from capacity development seminars, with over half being women.”

Fakoya noted that the partnership reinforces JCI’s mission to empower young leaders with essential tools to create positive change in their communities. An Associate Professor, Henrietta Onwuegbuzie, called for the revamping of education system to incorporate entrepreneurship training.

According to her, the current system focuses too much on preparing students for jobs rather than empowering them to create their own. Onwuegbuzie noted that entrepreneurship education is crucial for economic growth and development.

She noted that the government’s directive to teach entrepreneurship in schools is a step in the right direction, but pointed out that it is not enough to simply add entrepreneurship to the curriculum. She emphasised the need to train teachers and equip them with necessary skills to effectively teach entrepreneurship.

Director of Business Education, Victor Banjo, emphasised the importance of competitiveness in the current global market, said the partnership will leverage the strengths of both organisations to form a strong alliance, building leaders who will make a positive impact in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.