Creativity is Expression to me - Timi Agbaje

In this interview with Timi Agbaje, premium content developer, compere, Youtuber and Lawyer, he discusses his creative side and leads us through the creative process.

NELOC News: Can we meet you?
Guest: I am Timi Agbaje, I am an entertainer by passion, Lawyer by profession.

NNI: What defines Creativity for you?
Guest: Creativity is basically expression to me. You conceive an idea or a concept then you express it for the world to see. Nothing is really ever new. it’s how you express it to the world that stands you and the idea out.

NNI: Is there any special skill required to create content? How have you been able to consistently create content?
Guest: Lol. Special skill required to create? I doubt that. It’s a skill that gets better with consistency. I set a goal of many things I want to express over a period of time and I try to fill the timelines. I still even feel there’s a lot more I can achieve by stretching myself.

#Owrong!

NNI: What's your definition of a good content? Creativity or Acceptance by your audience?
Guest: A good content is creativity well expressed. An idea well conceived and sold to the market right.

NNI: How have you managed celebrity influence and popularity in your space?
Guest: Lol. There’s always something at the back of my mind asides the popularity and the buzz which is Relevance, I care more about that and less about the popularity and the buzz. That keeps me in check.

NELOC News: Is entertainment your alternative to Law? What is the merger point for both?
Guest: Lol. They’re not alternatives to me. I feel both of them have huge stakes they contribute to life. Without entertainment, the world will be a dry, bland space and without law, there will be chaos.
I try to infuse law minutely in my creations so people catch a hint or two on how things should play.

NNI: There's this popular trend on Twitter that celebrates Nigerian Creatives. What do you think about celebrating Creatives? Do you think Government has a role?
Guest: I totally support celebrating Creatives. It simply motivates to do more. Everyone has a role to do. There’s a joy that comes with your works being appreciated, you just want to do more. Government and Society must contribute to this.

NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth? Are we making progress?
Guest: Definitely, things aren’t how and where they used to be but there’s still a lot of work to be done especially by Africa. I mean, Afrobeats has become a global phenomenon and African artistes have been on the forefront of this and this has largely contributed to the business of music and entertainment globally. Youths across different strata of life have pushed the standards higher in different ways, it can only get better from here.

NNI: How did you strike a balance between education and entertainment, bagging a First Class at the Nigerian Law School?

Guest: Simply, Time management. I set my priorities right and I knew when and what to sacrifice for the other. And for something I would love to add, I put a very unbelievable work rate into preparing for my bar exams, studied my books and I studied the system too, the psychology of the examiners, past questions… I understood what the courses were really about beyond reading them to pass and all of that.

NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?
Guest: Lol. I would love to tell everyone out there to set crazy goals and smash them. There’s no limit to things we can all achieve. Sometimes, it’s not that it’s not working, the dream and work being put in might not just be big enough.

NNI: What should we expect from you in the near future?
Guest: More, More and More

Thank you very much for your time sir.

Awards are Rewards, But May not be a True Reflection of Success - Peter Trailblazer

In this interview, Phenomenal comedian, Skit maker and winner, Golden Pasta Drama Competition, Peter Trailblazer tells our team his content creation process and how Awards are rewards but not a true definition of success...

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: My name is Peter Adeleke popularly known as Peter Trailblazer. I am a phenomenal comedian and skit maker from Ibadan, Oyo state, born 23rd January, 1996. I'm a graduate of Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I grew up in Lagos with interest for comic acting and I decided to explore my talent with skit making. I grew from being a shy boy into an expressive and expansive skit maker. I won the second edition of the Golden Penny Pasta Drama Competition held in Lagos in 2007.

NNI: What birthed your brand name, Trailblazer and the Corporate Mad man identity?

Guest: I got the name Trailblazer by divine inspiration while on campus. Trailblazer is my signature and it typifies the phenomenal expression of my brand. I realized that comic actors come out in different form. That was why I decided to use a corporate outfit to create humour. You know once you wear a suit, you are regarded as a white collar person that is responsible. Notwithstanding, I use my corporate outfit to do crazy things so as to bring curiosity to the audience and also create sarcasm. It's just like an average Nigerian believes in packaging to be who they are really not.

NNI: How did your journey into content creation and comedy begin?

Guest: My journey into content creation began in 2015 at Obafemi Awolowo University during which I began a funny Life Partner series which went viral on campus. I just wanted to create organic and spontaneous videos in shorter versions to bring life's perspective into visual reality and to pass across salient message. All I wanted was to "edutain" people and I became better as I kept doing it. It was a bold step and now I am glad things are turning out well.

NNI: As a man of many creative hats, have you ever experienced content blocks? What was your experience?

Guest: Content creation requires you to think and make critical evaluations, not because you are not good but because you have to brainstorm on the best way to project the idea to the people. It's a norm for every content creator to experience content blocks. Most times when I experience content blocks, I take a pause, think and discuss with my team on the best way to carry out the production to bring maximum result. Sometimes, I leave the project for some days, and when I get back to it, insight will surely come.

NNI: What is your content creation process like? How do you arrive at the amazing content you dish your audience?

Guest: The process of content creation is fun for me. I always want my skit to inspire people and make them merry. So I combine the element of humor and theatrics to enlighten people and bring relaxation to them. I create content based on trends, inspiration, situation and relatability. I have a team of creative minds that work with me. Though I generally script, direct and edit all my skits myself but I could not have come this far without the support and input of my team. They worked hard to make many of my skits happen. They always had good suggestions and kept encouraging me to go on. I believe that actors must develop relationships within the network so as to provide more opportunities to advance their career.

NNI: What do you think of awards and achievements? How do they measure progress for you?

Guest: I won the second edition of the Golden Penny Pasta drama competition held in Lagos. So I can say that awards are ways of rewarding people who have done well. You are recognizing them for the good works they are doing. Awards also motivate people to do more. However, some awards may not be a true reflection of success because it could be closely competitive and sometimes you only get to nominate the people you know. Some even go a long way to pay for an award. The most important metrics for progress is growth and result. The fact that one doesn't get an award does not mean one is not good. Just keep improving and doing your best. You will definitely be recognized with time.

NNI: As a creative and influencer, how best do you think celebrity status should be managed?

Guest: As a celebrity, a lot of people will actually look up to you. So be real. Be true to yourself. A whole lot of celebrities are living fake life. Just be yourself. Nobody is perfect. Keep improving on your character. More importantly, as a celebrity, why you try to bask in the glory of fame and fan love, you should always be humble. Humility will take you far.

NNI: Many people complain that entertainment content in recent times has reduced in didactic quality. Do you think it's a matter of the creator's style?

Guest: Creators have a huge role to play in the kind of content to produce. However, the society, the trend, and the market have greater roles in influencing the creator's style. Content creators have now realized the kind of contents that the fans want. So creators are now being intentional about it. Hence the quality we see today.

NNI: What spectacular change do you wish to see in the entertainment and creative industry in the future?

Guest: There have been rapid growths in entertainment over the years. However, I will love to see more creatives using the platform of entertainment to address issues about the Nigerian economy. I will also love to see creatives support each other rather than see themselves as competition.

NNI: What advice will you give creatives interested in building a career in entertainment?

Guest: Persevere. The beginning will never be easy. I did a video on my YouTube channel titled, "why upcoming artist won't blow" where I talked about important things upcoming artist should know. As an upcoming artist, know your audience, focus more on your content, be creative, be consistent, persevere (because the beginning will never be easy), stay humble and don't give up.

NELOC News: Can we meet you?

Guest: I am Mary Fadare, a designer, business strategist and digital expert. I am the founder and lead of Mo'Tribe; a community that fosters personal development and business growth for young entrepreneurs where she commits herself to training and developing business owners. I am also the founder of phenomenal Ladies Connect Africa. PLC Africa, where I lead a community of women who train other ladies to attain excellence across all fields and to amplify the voice of the African woman across the globe. To cap it all, as a graduate of the department of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, I am passionate about business and digital technology particularly leveraging digital tools for business growth and profitability.

Read: How GetProspa is Helping Nigerian Businesses Own Corporate Accounts at Zero Cost

NELOC News: How has the digital entrepreneurship journey been for you so far?

Guest: My digital entrepreneurship journey has been different shades of exciting, demanding and profitable for me. Of course it has come with it's own challenges, but I'm grateful for every step of the process.

NELOC News: To you, what is the relevance of digital marketing and how can individuals leverage it for growth?

Guest: Obviously, digital marketing is of high relevance - you almost can't do without it if you want to build a sustainable brand whether it's Business, Personal or even Non-profit. Individuals can leverage digital technology by making themselves visible to the right audience and give out as much value as possible.

NELOC News: How did you come about digital Skills? Are you self taught?

Guest: Well, I attended a conference sometimes in 2016 - The Opportunity Conference and I was completely wowed getting to know the amazing wonders of tech. I stepped out of the conference into a rollercoaster of seeking knowledge, trying out new adventures Online, learning as much as I could, and of course making a lot of mistakes and figuring out stuff on my own. So, yes, I'm self-taught with the help of Google.

NELOC News: How do you think social media management will affect the future of digital revolution?

Guest: New businesses and brands are springing up every minute on social media! A whole lot of people are creating content and making money from their social media followers. I think that goes on to say that it's definitely going to play a major role in changing the norm of how business is being done. The same goes for every other sectors as well. Today, we now have online law firms, online doctors, pharmacists, fitness trainers, just name it! So, like we usually joke, everything is now online! The digital revolution is here already.

NELOC News: How does internet data price rates affect your productivity online (positively or negatively)? How well have you managed data?

Guest: As regards internet data, I believe that network providers are not taking it easy on us at all. For me, a whopping 20% of my total revenue generated from my online business goes back into buying data. That's pretty much for an average SME. Sincerely, I try to cut down my time Online. At some point, I removed YouTube completely from my list of favorite Online platforms all in a bid to conserve data. The availability and effectiveness of internet data affects my productivity to some extent but like every other challenge in business - we just have to find a way around it by making sure we generate enough Income to cover for data expenses

NELOC News: As a digital expert building a product that revolves round you, what defines social impact for you?

Guest: Social impact for me is value! Being so value oriented, generous and kind in dealing with every single person that comes into my space Online. There's a special joy that fills my heart whenever I am able to deliver the right solution to people's problems and being a part of their business success stories. It's both humbling and overwhelming!

NELOC News: As leader of the Mo'Tribe, what exceptional skill do you think every entrepreneur and business owner should have? Why?

Guest: If there's any skill I'll recommend, it's resilience. Being extremely passionate and focused on your goals such that you'd go any length to make them work regardless of whatever challenge you encounter on the way. It's okay to feel tired sometimes, you may not have all the resources, pay may not see you in your days of little beginnings. But you've got to be "stubborn" enough to stick through and build relevance for yourself and sustainability for your business.

NELOC News:: Tell us more about what you do at Phenomenal Ladies Connect.

Guest: Phenomenal Ladies Connect Africa (PLCAfrica) is a nonprofit organization for ladies. Our vision is to inspire African ladies towards attaining excellence and relevance in their chosen field everywhere around the world. The goal is to amplify the voice of the African Woman across the globe, to give more recognition and inclusion to us.

NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth as regards the digital world?

Guest: I know that many people would respond to this by pointing out incompetence and laziness on the part of many youths out there. But I'd rather commend the efforts of a large number of youths who are consistently committing themselves to growth, making bold moves, challenging the status quo and contributing significantly to the Global Economy at large.

Of course there's always room for improvement. It can only get better. More and more people are waking up and rising to responsibility!

NELOC News: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?

Guest: Work hard while you can. The glory of youths is in their strength. Leverage that strength in you and numerous opportunities at your disposal to make a difference. Find a purpose to live for, focus on what really matters and enjoy your process!

NELOC News: What new heights do you hope to scale in the near future?

Guest: For new heights, I'd love to work with top Consulting firms and land business deals with high profile companies. I also hope to build enough wealth and begin to invest and sponsor small businesses with innovative solutions. I look forward to providing mentorship to young Entrepreneurs as well.

Because of my Past, People see me as Imperfect - Fatoye Temitope

Fatoye Temitope, a recent graduate of the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, shares her story and her call to give hope to individuals who have a hurting past. in this interview with NELOC News International, she describes the positions of perfection and imperfection.

NNI: Can we meet you? Guest: I am Fatoye Temitope Seun and I am the visionary of Getting Past Your Past Magazine. I am from Osun State, and a Law Graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University.
NNI: What is GPYP all about?
Guest: GPYP is an organization called to show God's Love to the brokenhearted. We have been called to show that out of the Broken pieces of your life, the Lord can make an edifice of hope through using the non fictional stories of people who have been in one mess or the other and how they were able to get a message out of it.

Getting Past Your Past Magazine - Fatoye Temitope

NNI: How has managing GPYP been since inception?
Guest: Although GPYP is still young - about 1 year plus, it has been sweet so far because I just see myself as a mighty tool in God's hands. I do what he wants me to do concerning GPYP. All the managerial instructions comes from Him. I only do what he has concluded.

NNI: What has been your greatest challenge?
Guest: I had the greatest challenge when preparing for the conference. The challenge came up due to funds until when I got the wisdom (from my mentor) on how to get funds for God ordained programmes.

NNI: Being a student, how have you combined studies with ministry?

Guest: God has helped me by providing strength when I feel so tired and weak. Apart from that, there is wisdom in planning my day and my time. So ministry never disturbed my studies nor my studies affect ministry.

Read: OAU Final Year Student sentenced to Jail for Cybercrime

NNI: What is your general view on Sexual Abuse in the society?

Guest: Sexual abuse is a bad omen for any society where it prevails. Every one of us need to stand up against it with everything we've got. We also need to stand by the victims and help them out of the trauma. Let's Join Hands to fight against Sexual Abuse in our society.

NNI: How well has GPYP helped the society?
Guest: GPYP has helped the society in different areas.

1. Making people who have been victims of circumstances (abuse, mistakes) in the past or still going through them see more to themselves (by making them see Hope in Christ) using the stories of people who had gone through same and the steps they took in getting past it. This is done by the Mess and Message segment of the magazine.

2. We have been able to counsel so many people on how to get out of the bondage of the past and we have exposed them to the healing processes.

NNI: What are your regrets?
Guest: My regret is that I yielded late to the call and passion to Start Getting Past your past magazine.

NNI: Funding for Organisations is usually a problem. How have you managed funds as an organisation?
Guest: Concerning funds, it has always been done by faith and prayers to see where the resources are. Apart from Faith, personal funds, gifts from my parents and seeds from friends and readers of the magazine have also helped in funding the organization.

NNI: Earlier this year, you organised your debut superb conference, inviting many big names. How were you able to pull through?
Guest: Hmm.. All I can say is God. He made the conference a success with the gift of men He gave unto me. The conference happened just like a surprise. I am still surprised the Conference held. To be candid, a day before the conference we were about cancelling it but God surprised I and my team

NNI: What do you think of team management?
Guest: Actually, Team Management is difficult because you have to make your members see what you see. You have to make your team know that you are all together in "this" course and make them do the task they are given... It's a great task but with God's wisdom, prayers (putting their hearts into God's hands), showing them love and reminding them about what they have been called into, it becomes easier.

NNI: How has your past affected your current relationships with people?

Guest: My past has affected my relationship with people positively due to the fact that after making people know about my past, they now see me as someone who is not perfect like them, someone who has also gone through what they are going through or they have gone through. So, they tend to come to me, open up and seek counsel without being ashamed. My past has also helped me to love people more and see beyond their actions or attitudes.

Obioma Adetola Onibata at GDYP Conference

NNI: What advice will you give to other similar organisations and the public?

Guest: My advice to similar organisations is to never relent in their course. Many lives depend on us so, let's join hands. To the public, "Don't be ashamed to open up and seek counsel about what you are going through, We are here for You. Don't die in silence. Speak out!"

Influence is not a Function of the Position You Occupy- Daniel Olubunmi

Daniel Olubunmi, a Physiotherapist and Youth Leadership Model shares his views on youths, leadership and the future. Join us as we Walk The Talk with him in this Interview.

NNI: Can we meet you? (Personal, Education, Career wise and everything else you want us to know)

Guest: I'm Daniel Olubunmi, a graduate of Physiotherapy from the College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I'm the first child of 3 children and hail from Modakeke, Ife East Area Local Government, Osun State. I finished my both primary and secondary education at the Royal Nursery & Primary School and Royal Comprehensive High School, Modakeke, Osun State, respectively. I'm a believer, a Multi-Instrumentalist, a student leader on Campus, a Corporate Compere and a Public Speaker with major focus on Youth inclusion in politics and leadership, Social media and Entrepreneurship. This is what I basically do, in conquering my locality.

NNI: What defines social development and impactful leadership for you?

Guest: Social development is basically anything that moves the society forward, anything that contributes to the society. My definition of impactful leadership is leadership where one makes impacts, influence lives positively, makes disciples and have people go on to do very amazing things.

NNI: Is leadership a mix of different skills? What exactly makes up complete leadership?

Guest: Yes, leadership is a mix of different skills. There are a lot of skills that come together to make a good leader, and so along the way, we just constantly learn different things, we keep on adding different things to it. For example, empathy, you know, being able to empathize with people, and listen, you have to be able to learn how to listen. Leaders listen. Another example is reading - leaders read. You have to develop yourself. Leaders put others first. Leaders are firm, you have to learn how to be affirmative and not mean, at the same time. Leaders are good decision makers. So there are so many skills that come together to make a good leader. So it's just something we keep on layering on because it's not one thing that makes a leader, a couple of things come together to make good leader.

NNI: It is usually said that a leader must be a follower. How realistic is this?

Guest: When we talk about, a leader being a follower, the first thing I think in this context is, leadership is about the "followers", about the people that follow you. As a leader, you must make these people your priority, you must listen to their needs. In that way, you follow them. You must make them the centre. That way, you're following the people that you lead. But in another context, when you talk about leaders being followers, it also means, as a leader, you have to have someone that's leading you as well, someone you're mentored by or someone you're constantly learning from. That way, you're a follower. Sometimes, you learn how to be a good leader, by learning how to follow.

NNI: How have you managed leadership and influence?

Guest: Leadership is essentially influence, and influence is not a function of the position you occupy, but a function of the leadership and sound counsel you proffer. Leadership is who you are before what you do.

So leadership is really the ability to influence other people. In this sense, it is to influence other people to do positive things. The most important part of leadership is influence, because if you're not influencing anybody, nobody is going to follow you. If you do not influence anybody, you're not making any impact. These two, cannot be separated.

NNI: By global trends, there is a call for youths to take leadership. How best can a youth position himself to be worthy of leadership?

Guest: A young person can position himself to be a leader by deciding to be a valuable person. The first thing is working on yourself. The first step is YOU. I work on myself, I want to be a "young leader" and position myself as a person of value, so I'm giving value to people in my community. It's just as if I'm giving value to the people that are on my WhatsApp contact list. So basically, developing yourself, and in too little ways that you can contribute. People think leadership is always about being in the front, maybe leadership is as simple as, Ohhh, some people are having a conference, and I want to volunteer to be an Usher, that is leadership. That is positioning yourself in the community to be worthy of leadership.

NNI: What is the measure of good leadership? Do you think social impact can be measured?

Guest: It can be measured. There are some things you can't exactly measure, but impact will always be seen, like that's the thing, impact will always show, it'll be obvious. You can't have impacts, and it's invisible. So the metric for measuring it may differ, but impact is a measurable stuff, it's something you can see, something tangible. Not like, ohh this is the road I built, sometimes, it is the influence in people lives.

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Influence is not a Function of the Position You Occupy - Daniel Olubunmi @danolubunmi We walked the talk with popular student leader on his views on youth, leadership and influence. Read interview on www.nelocnews.com.ng #nelocmedia #nelocnews #interview

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NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth? Do you think we are making progress?

Guest: Yes, we're making a lot of progress on Global youth development and growth. A lot of young people are becoming more aware, and I think awareness is the first step, and that is growth, especially in Nigeria, across Africa and across the world. So I think that's good, even out of the progress, young people are speaking out, young people are taking actions, young people are leading.

NNI: From your recent social media activities, it shows how well you have fused your personal brand into your love for promising leadership. How did you achieve this?

Guest: Well, there's a need to educate the people coming behind us, it's key. A lot of young people wants to be a leader, but they don't know how to achieve this, they basically don't know where to start from, and some are afraid of the unknown, while others are over-ambitious. So I've been able to gather enough contents on student leadership from my experiences as a student leader, and also pointers from friends in their different fields, tailoring it to meet the needs and curiosities of the younger ones. This is why I have embarked on a campaign for sustainable leadership via my social media platforms, to educate this current generation, and make Nigeria a better place to live.

NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?

Guest: To fellow young individuals, leadership is a process, one step at a time, you have all the time to develop yourself and add value to yourself, this way, you'll stay relevant. Most importantly, build your character and strive to have a strong conviction. Money, position or office could influence and establish relationships, but it's not enough to sustain it. Only a ripe character can.

Ask for help, if there need be, and extend help to the next person, with whatever you have in your capacity, volunteer for an event, meet new people and make friends, it'll help build a network of people, of like minds, around you. Finally, be deliberate, be conscious and be intentional about leadership.

NNI: What should we expect from you in the near future? Any intentions to go into full time politics? Any big plans?

Guest: Full-time politics? (Laughs) I cannot categorically say yet. This is just the starting point. Definitely, there are plans, but then, man plans, God decides! The difference will tell in matter of few years to come. Basically, the major goal is to be fruitful and multiply, into building the Nigeria of our dreams, and subsequently, making impacts throughout the Continent of Africa.

Thank you very much for your time sir.

Looking for Quick Money is Counterproductive to Entrepreneurship - Olatunde Victor

In this Interview with NELOC News, Mr Olatunde Victor, CMO, Extramile Africa shares his story of entrepreneurship and his experience on the journey to building an excellent product for Africans.

NELOC News: Can we meet you? (Personal, Education, Career wise)
Guest: I am Olatunde Victor Adeoluwa. I had my first, second degree and presently, PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. However, I have been an entrepreneur for more than twelve years. I'm naturally a bridge between being extrovert and introvert as I have characteristics that can swing into either of the two as circumstances require.

NELOC News: How has the entrepreneurship journey been for you so far?
Guest: Entrepreneurship journey for me a mix of excitement and challenges because the road for me, started as a survival path... I did many things to survive using skills, talents, learnings etc. Those times weren't funny and I mean not funny at all. Especially the days when I started and I had to sell bread and egg, indomie and egg till 12 midnight, yet as a 300level student. Combining such with academics at first was a bit hard, though eventually mastered the art of balancing it.

Other challenges were the need to have something constant flowing as the Businesses weren't yet stable and I had to go through those times roughly just to keep on my path. However, there also are awesome stories of Victories, of businesses built, Partnerships and relationships built, people met, people raised, grants won, global fellowships won, experiences you can't buy and so many more. So like I said, it's a mix, however, I've never regretted being an entrepreneur, I'll always choose that path any other day.

NELOC News: What is Extramile Africa about? What do you do?
Guest: Extramile Africa is simply a one stop point digital financing platform to meet anyone's Financial needs. Extramile Africa is a Financial companion and partner to anyone who has dreams and intends to make them flower. It's a platform where you can

Access financial credit for education, business, and other Financial needs. This includes student Entrepreneurs
Save your funds with no hidden charges, and in such a manner that it can yield for you rather than reduce
Lock up some of your funds for some target periods and earn some rewards on it over the lock up period
Make Discounted purchases, in several Industries on the M Commerce section, which makes you spend less to earn more and save more
Make transfers of funds from wallet to wallet
Participate in growth mentoring for your business . This helps us grow more businesses and create more jobs.

An interesting part of our offering is, these all are even available in local and rural areas because what we are doing is to drive Financial Inclusion among those who are unreached, underserved or excluded from easy financial benefits.

NELOC News: How accommodating is Extramile Africa for users outside the student environment?
Guest: We have one of the most robust Financial services among the consumers beyond school environment. So far, we have over 50,000 users who are not students, rather are farmers, traders, and so on. Many of these, have accessed credits, saved and locked up funds as well.
Through our Merchants and Direct Sales Agents which number over 200 on the field right now, we're literally the FinTech that prepared for those out of the academic circles and the continuous demand of our presence by people in regions we're not present, is a proof that we're doing something right.

NELOC News: As a fintech company, how have you tackled trust issues as regards online savings, and bank card security?

Guest: Trust is a major factor in any business and that is one area all Financial services, even the most established ones still get to deal with daily. It will be good to point that we don't use Chipped debit cards and as such our Extracard (which is only for rural or customers without smart phones) can only be obtained and presented in an area where we have a verified merchant, which could be Individual business owners or associations. So the safety of cards is at the maximum.

For the Digital wallets, we built Extramile Africa on a high security protocol platform, and have a highly proficient team of cybersecurity experts and programmers on the job to ensure everyone's fund safety. Relative to the people, our customers review as well as our model of community building bring people to trust us from circles of influences and that keeps increasing numbers of Subscribers daily.

NELOC News: On Youth Development and growth in Nigeria, do you think we are making progress- business, entrepreneurship and finance wise?
Guest: This question is to be answered in two dimensions, Government and the people. On the part of the government, a few things are happening which will help SMEs Growth such as the new finance bill, ease of doing business operations, instructions by the CBN to Increase the loan to Deposit ratio of banks, some finance interventions and so on. While these are there, much more are needed and its good to say that on the part of the government, we're making progress. However, on the side of the youths, I'll say there is a huge gap. Many are literally looking for fast money, quick returns, Less work, all of which are counterproductive relative to Entrepreneurship.

Many who are serious, are not open to proper and Important information and as well not willing to take risks. For example when we brought the Studentpreneurs Financing and mentoring program for Student Entrepreneurs, we were expecting those with ongoing businesses to show up immediately, but only a few came at first, until they started coming out in trickles. Now, any student who hopes to be an entrepreneur or push their dreams in the nearest future (of which the future is here), is missing out big time from uncommon opportunities. So, are we trying? Maybe yes. But considering the enormous unemployment out there, it's not enough at all.

NELOC News: Many factors influence money and financial decisions. How do you measure these factors?
Guest: On a general level, reports and analysis show that 60% of Nigerians money go into food simply because of the high poverty level, remaining factors would also be hinged on survival. These factors in Individuals vary and as such can't be generalized, I'll however say that in Nigeria, survival (which is mostly positive) drives Financial decisions. We at Extramile Africa are however working on teaching people on how to break out that rat race.

NELOC News: There is a regular mention of Savings and Investments. Are there other alternatives to these two? Why is Savings and investments yielding much more acceptance than other basic financial concepts?

Guest: Saving is simply the art of keeping your funds while investment is the art of putting the saved funds to use. The other alternative to these two is "Spending", "giving" and "lending" which most people are used to, and often time command no definite yield or growth if not rightly done. Savings has actually yielded more wider acceptance than Investment. It is so because savings is an age long tradition. We're born into the culture of savings, though not all homes have successfully passed it down. Meanwhile, I won't say Investments has been well accepted.

NELOC News: What should we expect from Extramile in the near future?
Guest: Since the launch of Extramile Africa in December 2018, we have grown in great measure. Our users and the general public should expect a whole lot. We are working to be the Platform that everyone can depend on, to track their finance and make Intellegent Financial decisions, this will include artificial intelligence and so on.

NNI: What is Your Advice to Young Individuals?
Guest: Young individuals need to understand diversification and stretching of their minds. We have too many mentally lazy but physically strong persons out there but that isn't what we need. This is an information age, a time of smart and intelligent work. It will be good for all young minds to engage in deep Personal Development. Finally, my mentor taught me that "if you're not in charge of your finances, you can't be in charge of your destiny". I know this is true especially when you have dreams and you have no finance to execute. However, everyone can be in charge of their destiny if they'll go the extra mile to attain Financial discipline, and all round Financial success. The future is clear with Extramile Africa and that's why I tell all young minds to jump on board now and be serious with life.

I have no Fear of the Future - Akinjobi Oluwagbemisola

Can we meet you?

Guest: My name is Akinjobi Oluwagbemisola, an unashamed Christian.

With the extra feather to your cap, how did you feel when you were announced as a category winner in The New Man Gospel Writing Contest, 2022?

Guest: At the time of the result announcement, I felt a sense of nervousness but on seeing the results, I could say I was a little surprised because I was expecting to do well but not to the extent of winning and the earlier nervousness was due to "what ifs".

What are your writing aspirations for the future?

Guest: My writing aspirations for the future is to appear on the biggest print networks in Nigeria and all other parts of the world as a multi-award winning writer.

What other things do you do apart from writing.

Guest: Apart from writing, I'm actively a student - studying medicine at the University of Ibadan. I also do a bit of graphics design.

As regards your dreams and aspirations, what is/are your greatest fear(s)?

Guest: I do not think I'm fearful of anything regarding my future aspirations.

What and Who inspires your writing?

Guest: My family and my God inspires me to write. I want to make known just how good God is and I want to solve some problems of mankind through our own experiences.

When did you start writing? Can you give us a background story?

Guest: I started writing in April 2021. I was at church and my Pastor was preaching about "Stepping out with the gospel" and somehow, I felt the way for me to step out was by writing. I began to look out for openings for writers and I came across the New Man application. So, I applied and the journey started.

What would you love to say to encourage other writers?

Guest: To other writers out there, I'll like to tell you to remain tenacious with what you do because someday, there will be a great reward and an expected end of success.

What do you think about the New Man Gospel Writing Contest? What new things do you hope to see in subsequent editions?

Guest: The New Man writing contest is what the body of Christ needs at this time and I'm thankful for the organisation. For subsequent editions, I wish to see more winners recognised per category as this creates an avenue for more creatives to be rewarded.

Living Like the Celebrities you follow is a Big Mistake - Ike Nathaniel

Nathaniel Ike, UBA and Itel Ambassador and 2018 Osun Campus King (culture and tourism) shares his thoughts on our life interview series.

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: I'm Nathaniel Ike, a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University. I'm a brand influencer and entrepreneur who has tried luck in many enterprises before now - from photography, graphics and web design and sale of customized necklaces (jewelries). I never had the intention of being an influencer from the start. My business (photography) led me to being an influencer.

NNI: How did Social Media Influencing begin for you?
Guest: Photography was a hobby for me. At the time, my outlet was Agozyke Photo world, but it is now rebranded as Da Fotographie world. It was while I was looking for customers and promoters for my business that I started the "influencing thing" I did it mainly to grow my business. When I founded OAU Trends, it wasn't for the whole community at first, but for my business. When it became something that people started to reckon with, I had no choice than to make it more open to the community.

Living Like the Celebrities you follow is a Big Mistake - Ike Nathaniel

NNI: How has the entrepreneurship journey been for you so far?

Guest: The entrepreneurship journey hasn't been easy. Starting up a business and familiarizing myself with the new environment (school) then gave me lots of concerns. I worked under someone while in Port Harcourt before I gained admission. I got all exposures there. I started OAU Trends to support my business before it eventually grew even beyond my expectations. Thinking of how to satisfy customers could also prove difficult. I did bespoke necklace business in 200 level in school just to make as a side hustle. And It hasn't been easy, but with hard work and diligence, God has been faithful.

NNI: In managing multiple businesses while as a student, how did you manage your time and balance academics and extra curricular activities?

Guest: Joggling businesses with school work was really tasking. Sometimes I would have tests the next morning and still run deliveries during the day. I had to make up for it by reading overnight while I satisfy my customers. I'm not an outdoor person- most people don't know though. I stay indoors most times, so I barely engage in extra curricular activities.

NNI: What is your worst business experience?

Guest: My worst business experience was in 100 level. I tried to train some persons in photography and spent a lot to make the training a success- publicity (printed handbills and all) and even rented a projector. Sadly only 2 people showed up and I made a huge loss. It was a really devastating experience, though that didn't stop me from moving ahead.

NNI: You are a brand ambassador to major companies, how have you managed influence?

Guest: I have been and I currently am a brand ambassador to many companies, mostly within Osun State. I don't see it as a big deal. Anyone can do it. I see it as you trying to network and get opportunities for yourself and future. Also in the past, I've trained people on the tips that could help them in becoming brand ambassadors for any company around. Infact, I am currently writing a book on that which will be published soon. It's a work in progress. I don't think being a brand ambassador is made for some particular set of individuals. It's just about you being qualified - an expertise in a field, online presence and the readiness to serve. Of course, while working with brands, people will want to relate with you and you'd make a lot of friends. I just see it as everyone trying to help themselves.

NNI: On Youth Development and growth in Nigeria, do you think we are making progress?
Guest: I feel we are not making progress at all. Most youths today have a poor mentality about life, seeing the fact that you drive a car or spend money lavishly as success. This is why most youths are desperate to make money at all costs and some eventually go into horrible and dubious things.

It is heartbreaking that an individual who spent 4-5 years in school and earned a degree- B.sc or B.A goes back home only to be employed by those who didn't go to school. This is mainly because most youths lack skills, they have this fantasy of a job awaiting them meanwhile we all know there are no jobs anywhere in the country.

I see the need to making provision for the youths to learn one or two skills, it would really help them. The essence of going to school is to get learned and being skillful and being learned gives you an edge over others. Karl Marx said practice without theory is blind and theory without practice is barren. The Nigerian educational system is mainly theoretical I must say.

NNI: The Social Media has great influence on youths- positive and negative. How do you think one can make good use of Social Media?

Guest: I think social media has both positive and negative influence on youths, but it depends on what you as a person wants. We watch the lifestyle of some celebrities and try to emulate them. I see social media as an entirely different world that is vague and fake. If you base your life on the celebrities you follow or are fond of , then you are making a big mistake.

Everyone tries to look like a god and look perfect on social media. We need to understand that most of the things we see on social media are not real but exaggerated, everything is for the gram like they usually say and everyone wants to shine.

On the positive side, a lot of opportunities are on social media but it would be open to you only if you are looking for them. Most of the deals I got are from social media. For example, I applied for the UBA ambassadorship via social media. You need to figure out what you want. Who you follow also matters. Things on social media aren't really the way we take them to be and trying to emulate them could mislead you. Another benefit of social media is that it gives you opportunity to showcase your talent and business for free, I mean it's a platform for the talented ones to showcase their talents and also they can build a fan base from there as well.

NNI: You run a Non- Governmental Organisation. How do you give back to the society?

Guest: The aim of my NGO (Nathaniel Ike Foundation) is to reach out to the youths. This is in line with goals 1, 4, 8 and 9 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), we aim to empower generations professionally and skillfully, thereby becoming valuable wherever they find themselves. Our core concern is for those who are in school. The fact that you are in school means you should be better than those who didn't go to school because of the privilege you have. But the reverse is the case most times. Someone out of school is in business and making money while the other in school is just learning. While it's good to learn, the need for skillfulness in this age cannot be over emphasized. That is one of the key areas my NGO aims to address. We wish to bring up an initiative that will provide for experts in various fields to come and train students in various tertiary institutions for free. Fields like tailoring, web designing, photography and so on. But we obviously can't do this alone. We need funds and support I must say to make this a reality. A lot of people have interests in a lot of things but they feel school is holding them down. But there should be need for them to know that with time management and determination they can train and equip themselves to be exemplary in any field of interest they like. Also, most of us (Youths) don't know what we want. We jump around, trying different things and not mastering any. Don't get me wrong, it is possible to love a lot of things and do all these things at once. But most of us only jump around doing these different things because we see some of our mates doing them and making it, not because we really love what we are doing. How about we start doing things because we love them and be masters in whatever we choose to do? In summary I wish to support youths in tertiary institutions to achieve their dreams in the vocational aspect as well as educational.

NNI: Do you see yourself as a celebrity or an influencer?

Guest: Haba! I have never seen myself as a celebrity. I see myself as an influencer instead. I influence people to be better - entrepreneurs especially by connecting them with the right customers. It is not proper to live on mere hypes.. just get results and help others get theirs.

And as an influencer, my vision is to help entrepreneurs & business owners (both young and old) boost their sales by getting lead engagements and connecting them to potential customers.

NNI: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Guest: In the next 5 years, I hope to have made impact on a lot of people with my NGO. I hope to have been successful by then- being successful to me isn't measured by what you have in your bank account, but how much impacts that are being made. Very importantly, I want to see myself settling down, that is setting up my family and also go into real estate management. That's one field I'd like to explore but I'm still looking forward to that.

NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?

Guest: My advice to the young ones is to be positive in whatsoever you want to do. Never compare yourself with anyone. Do what's right to you without concern for criticisms, they are actually bound to come because if no one is talking about you then you are nobody. Don't let SETBACK let you down. SETBACK is just a preparation for a COMEBACK.

We all are bound to face challenges at one point in time - definitely it's just a process and it cannot remain for too long. Very importantly, don't follow the crowd, be outstanding and have a creative mind. Make decisions that would affect you positively. Be a positive influence. If you're a tailor, be unique learn more and more and bring up new designs. Be creative and innovative in your ways, don't just follow trends.

NNI: Thank you very much for your time.

Guest: Thank you very much.