‘SheCanPray4Nigeria is going to be life-changing’

Ezinne Ezeani is the MD of ZK Signature, Managing Partner of MBR Signature and Founder/Convener of SheCan Nigeria, an empowerment movement for today’s woman to realise she can do more. Prior to her appointment at ZK, she was the Human Resource Manager for an international hospitality firm and was the Country Director for a Pan-African Travel Holiday Club where she led and managed operations for a team of over 15,000 club members. A certified Leader Rise-Up, she talks about her upcoming event and the flag off of the SheCanPickUpAChildChallenge.

What motivated this particular event, SheCanPray4Nigeria? The Bible says if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. We are a movement designed to address issues that matter to every Nigerian. This country is ours and if we don’t pray for her who will? October 1st marks our Independence Day, which defines the official beginning of our dear country. We believe when you put God first, all other things will fall in place. Next year is a very decisive and sensitive political year, even as we urge every eligible citizen to express their civil right to vote and vote right, we must as proud citizens, pray for the peace of our country.

You have held other events in the past, what is different about this?
This is nothing but a simple call to pray for our dear nation. As Christians, this is what we owe to our motherland, to pray for the peace and success of our own Jerusalem (Nigeria). Consciously or subconsciously, an average American will always say “God Bless America” irrespective of the circumstances, but we Nigerians have learnt since our childhoods to curse Nigeria much more than we bless her. This is a movement and a call to everyone to stand out and take the lead to bless our Nation much more than we curse her.

In your opinion shouldn’t prayers be matched with actions so as to make them effective?
What we have done is to drive a sensitization campaign that is still on- going for not just our members, but to the general public to register, vote and vote right and ensure their votes count in the forthcoming elections. As we can no longer leave the fate of the nation on the wings of political promises, the future we all hope for is now. We will do everything it takes including prayer to leave a heritage our children will be proud of.

Are you engaging just women for this?
No; that we chose to take the lead doesn’t necessarily mean it is for women alone. This is a call for all Nigerians everywhere.

What is the inspiration behind the SheCan movement?
SheCan is designed to help every woman know she can do more irrespective of her gender, background, career or industry. The focus is to help the adolescent girl and woman to not just set goals, but hunt them down and achieve them despite the obstacles she might face on the way to actualising them.

There have been several prayers and religious programs held for the country with many more to hold next week, yet, average Nigerians are yet to feel the impact. Why is this so?
The expected impact can only take effect when all stakeholders resolve in changing the fate of Nigeria. Patriotism, like charity, begins at home. Let us start from our own space to drive the expected change by ensuring we vote and vote right as every nation gets the government they deserve. There is a place for prayer and the place of human effort and the system may not realise its full potential when only one works. The change we seek must begin from every little individual action we take and make on a daily basis.

Who are the other people we can expect at the programme
All patriotic Nigerians who truly believes there is hope for our nation, believes in the Word of God and are willing to stand and take the lead as game changers. Our guest ministers and artistes include Nathaniel Bassey, Victoria Orenze, Pastor Funmilayo Adeniyi, Pastor Kayode Yusuf, Nkechi Harry Ngonadi, celebrities and proud Nigerian citizens.

At the last SheCan event held in March, you said you were going to give opportunities to young girls/women. What have you done so far?
Impressively, we have achieved most of the promises made to the young girls and women. We are currently in partnership with Makoko and Dustbin Village adolescent girls and women through which as at now, over 80 adolescent girls have been pre-assessed and qualified for a scholarship plan. Before the end of the year, we will be flagging off “SheCanPickUpAChildChallenge”, we have currently partnered with good private schools where huge discounts have been offered to the brilliant qualified students from these poor villages. Interested individual and sponsors will have the privilege of dealing directly with these schools, that is, pay tuition fees directly to the school while SheCan with her robust digital resources, including our Pickupachild portal, will monitor the placement and progression of the students under this plan. Interestingly, the partnered schools and individual sponsors have been amazingly encouraging and impressive. Before the next calendar year we can assure you that over 150 brilliant less-privileged students will be fully enrolled into our scholarship portal. Other activities achieved so far are community engagements, career counseling/engagement, several professional trainings and SheCanbacktoschool initiative.

How are you going to leverage on this program to drive real change in your immediate community?
Asides the prayer session, all of this is to also drive a general awareness on the need for everyone to register, vote and ensure that their vote counts in the coming election. This is what we call SheCanBehavioural Change Campaign towards a better nation and more importantly, to instill in the hearts of those around us to be fully aware that the change we seek starts from us. Things will get better in our nation when we all become fully and truly involved.

If you had the opportunity to influence change in two areas, what areas would that be?
Education (The empowered mind builds a nation) and character building. Education fuels your character; your character defines your extremes, fantasies and vanities. If we build standard morals we will be careful of our excesses and understand the need to drive good morals, which will have a positive impact in the country.