Who becomes Nigeria's young person of the year TFA Season 5?

4:20 AM Edit This 4 Comments »

Dora Akunyili joins the list of speakers!

4:12 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
Forget all the drama and the politics, Dora Akunyili has an amazing an truly inspiring success story that everyone can and should learn from! We are excited to get her confirmation for The Future Pre-Awards Conference, holding Saturday February 6 at the Welcome Centre Hotels, International Aiprot, Road Ikeja.

The Future Awards pre-awards conference will be giving you a rare opportunity to meet with some of the highest achieving Nigerian role models.

There will not be lecturing you; instead, you will be asking them ANY question on your mind!

The other speakers are:

Mutiu Sunmonu, MD, Shell Nigeria

Dele Olojede, Publisher, NEXT Newspapers

Pat Utomi, Vice Chairman, Bank PHB

Atedo Peterside , MD , IBTC Chartered

Ben Bruce, Chairman, Silverbird Group

Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman, Access Bank

Abike Dabiri, Member, House of Representatives

Ituah Ighodalo, Principal Partner, Banwo & Ighodalo

Reuben Abati, Chairman, The Guardian Editorial Board

Mo Abudu, Presenter, Moments with Mo

Nicholas Okoye, MD, Anabel Mobile

Tonye Cole, MD, Sahara Energy

Detoun Ogwo, ED, After Graduate Development Centre

Poju Oyemade, Covenant Christian Centre

Fela Durotoye, CEO, Visible Impact

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Actor/Producer

MI Abaga, Singer/Performer

Omawumi Megbele, Singer/Actress

Mosunmola Umoru, Farmer

Tolu Ogunlesi, CNN Africa Journalist of the Year

Cobhams Asuquo, Singer/Music Producer

Hassan Rilwan, Publisher, Sardauna Magazine

Dapo Oyewole, Executive Director, Centre for African Policy & Peace Strategy

Gbenga Sesan, ED, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria

The Future Awards Pre-Awards Conference

Stop watching. Stop waiting. Stop wanting. Do something!

Saturday, the 6th of February.

Welcome Centre, by 7&8 Busstop, International Airport Road Ikeja.

You can register at the venue of the event at 8am that day for N500.


However to get confirmed seats, you can register on the website and then pay at the venue!

www.thefuturenigeria.com

Stop waiting. Stop wanting. Do something!

It's the 5th Season and We Represent Naija

12:03 PM Edit This 2 Comments »

The Future Awards releases shortlist after voting!

6:45 PM Edit This 4 Comments »

After more than 6 weeks of voting as well as the first stage of judging, the Central Working Committee for The Future Awards 2010, known as Nigeria ’s biggest youth event, has released its shortlist.
The Nominees List, which was released in December 2009, had 8 nominees per category, but, as usual, the shortlist has the 5 per category, who have made it to the next stage – and are closer to winning the coveted awards.
“As always, the shortlist comes after we have collated the results of the online and sms voting, as managed by Vas2nets, and combine that with the results of the first stage of judging,” said Emilia Asim-Ita, the event’s PR Director. “This was done by the Board of Judges, made up  30 young journalists from across media houses like The Guardian, Thisday, The Punch, NEXT, TELL and others. After the release of this shortlist now, it moves on to the Independent Audit Committee, which will decide on the finalists. However, there is no shortlist for the Young Person of the Year category – all of the nominees for the biggest award are finalists.”
The three finalists for each award will be unveiled alongside the winners of the awards at the grand event which holds on Sunday, February 7, 2010. The strictly by invitation event has as Keynote Speaker, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is Managing Director of the World Bank.
More information on the process and the awards is on the website, www.thefuturenigeria.com.
 
Shortlist for The Future Awards 2010
Actor of the Year
Omoni Oboli
Gideon Okeke
Mercy Johnson
Kemi Lala Akindoju
Ali Nuhu
Best Use of Advocacy
Ndubude Matthew Ekene ( Nigeria Youth Fight Against Malaria)
Emmanuel Odiase (Smokefree Foundation)
Tosin Sangosanya (Dustbin Children Foundation)
Isoke Aikpitanyi (Casa de Isoke)
Light Up Nigeria
Best Use of Science
Akintunde Babatunde (Invention in wastewater treatment)
Ify Aniebo (Research in malaria)
Otejiri Oghoghorie (0.1 Seconds Automatic Changeover)
Tosin Ogunrinde (Invention in robotics)
Okelola Mayokun (Research in climate change)
Best Use of Technology
Bode Pedro (Veda Technology)
Ike Orizu (mytruspot.com)
Temi Kolawole (Antigravity)
Uche Eze (bellanaija.com)
Bade Adesemowo (Bincom)
Business Owner of the Year
Oghenekaro Agono (Tremor Perfect)
Erefa Fynecontry (Doheney Services)
Debola Lewis (Yvent Couture)
Hassan Rilwan (Focal Point Publishing)
Henry Orajiaka (Motomedia)
Creative Artist of the Year
Onyeka Nwelue
Andrew Esiebo
Jumoke Verissimo
Adekunle Samuel Owolabi
Richardson Oviebo
Excellence in Public Service
Jerry Uchechukwu Eze (UNFPA)
Dr. Abraham Idokoko ( General Hospital , Lagos )
Fatima Zara Modibbo ( Institute of Human Virology , Nigeria )
Ngozi Iheukwumere (University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin )
Oluwatoyin Jegede (Engineering Department, University of Lagos )
Journalist of the Year
Toyosi Ogunseye (The Punch)
Ruona Agbroko (NEXT)
Chinedu Iroche (NEXT)
Segun Adeoye (TELL)
Funke Adetutu (BusinessDay)
Magazine of the Year
Ace
Soundcity Blast
The Applause
Revealed
Acada
Model of the Year
Ibukun Jegede
Olubunmi Ademokoya
Tayo Ishola
Warebi Martha
Owobowale Ogunlaja
Musician of the Year
Dare Art-Alade
Wande Coal
Banky W
MI
Omawunmi
Music Producer of the Year
Jesse Jagz
JMartins
K Solo
Terry G
Dekunzy
On-Air Personality of the Year (Radio)
Tosyn Bucknor (Top Radio)
Matse Uwatse (Wazobia FM)
Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi (Beat FM)
Gbemileke Oyinsan (Inspiration FM)
Spaceman (Cool FM)
On-Air Personality of the Year (TV)
Adaure Achumba (Silverbird TV)
Denrele Edun (Soundcity)
Gloria Ebong (Channels TV)
Cynthia Okpala (MTV Base)
Andre Blaze (Nigezie)
Professional of the Year
Dr. Adedayo Osholowu (IOC-certified doctor)
Simi Dosekun (Kachifo Limited)
Dipo Okuribido (Banwo & Ighodalo)
Aneto Okonkwo (Management Consultant)
Ifunnaya Maduka ( Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls)
Screen Producer of the Year
Tola Odunsi (Storm Productions)
Imoh Umoren (Ultima Studios)
Yinka Obebe (Nigezie)
Gbenga Salu (Renders & Illusion)
Kenneth Gyang (“Finding Aisha”)
Sportsperson of the Year
Osaze Odemwingie (Football)
Ikechukwu Uche (Football)
Fatima Abinu (Lawn Tennis)
Obafemi Martins (Football)
Janet Dung (Athletics)
Style Entrepreneur of the Year
Muyiwa Osindero (Clothesense)
Uche Nnaji (Ouch!)
Linda Ikeji (Blackdove Communications)
Ugonna Umeruo (House of Nwaocha)
Adetola Olateju (Xquizit)
Team of the Year
African Youths Unite for Change
Light Up Nigeria
Salsa Naija
The Umusu Wives (for Dagashi Hair Company)
Gbagyichild Entertainment
Young Person of the Year
Ik Osakioduwa (On Air Personality)
Toyosi Akerele (Youth Advocate)
Tolu Ogunlesi (Journalist)    
Asa (Bukola Elemide) (Singer/Performer)
Ify Aniebo (Science researcher) 
Qudus Onikeku (Dance professional)
Stephanie Okereke (Actor/Movie Producer)
Cobhams Asuquo (Music Producer)
 

  • All nominees are Nigerian citizens aged 18-31.

THE STORM IS BREWING FOR 2010!

6:03 PM Edit This 12 Comments »



On Monday, 18 January 2010, Storm 360, easily West Africa ’s leading entertainment company, got a wide cross-section of media for an exclusive first of its kind sit down with talent and executives of the company.
 
“We’ve been running the show for more than a decade now, since we first came to being in 1990 as Storm Productions launching the first Afrro-Hiphop group Junior and Pretty,” CEO of the company, Obi Asika, said.
 
Storm 360 operates within a multi-platform, multi-purpose media space which makes us uniquely able to deliver genuine 360 degree content solutions to its many discerning clients.
 
 “Entertainment is our passion and our business,” Olisa Adibua, radio and TV presenter and one of Storm 360’s directors, said. “The only force that rivals our passion for entertainment is our unflinching belief in the potency and potential of the African urban pop culture, especially in our home country Nigeria .” 
 
Storm has been in charge of most of the defining moments in Nigerian music and television, with productions credits including Amstel Malta Box Office (AMBO); Play TV; Big Brother Nigeria; The Scoop; 100% Naija; ILN Teacher’s TV; The Apprentice Africa and Dragon’s Den. In addition, Storm Vision has produced music documentaries (This Day Music Festival 1 & 2), adverts (Heart of Africa) and other audio-visual content.
 
Now, as Storm 360, which launched officially in September 2008, Storm has marshalled its strengths, deepened its resources, broadened its scope and is now able to offer clients a one-stop source for customized, creative content solutions through audio-visual, interactive, experiential or music-based platforms.
 
The company’s management includes Obi Asika, Olisa Adibua, Nkiru Asika, Tola Odunsi and Tonye Faloughi.
 
In the 14 months since Storm 360 launched, the company has continued to dominate the Nigerian entertainment landscape with big budget television shows, innovative musical acts and unique events. These include Calabar Rocks! Festival Diaries and Concert Series, Naija Sings for Mnet, and One 9ja Million Dollar Game Show for Etisalat, shooting live editions of the show across Nigeria in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Ibadan, Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri and Sokoto. The show also made history by giving away the biggest prize in African gameshow history.
 
The music arm of storm remains as strong as ever, the one consistent music label in the country over the past decade – with artistes that have been successful and been sustainable. Storm’s premium music talent include Naeto C, recognised for his talent, music and sense of style; GT, perhaps Nigeria’s most talented vocalist; Sasha, recognised as the premiere Female talent in African Hip Hop; Tosin Martins, the crooner with the smooth voice and the mellow sounds; Sauce Kid, a superstar in the making; YQ, who has in 2009 built his rep with several street singles; and Pype, the Nigerian dancehall king.
 
In December 2008, Storm 360 was the international booking agent and talent manager for the 150+ artists that performed at the Calabar Christmas Festival. Our combination of strong local and international networks, thorough understanding of rider and contract management, logistics and production made us the natural choice for this role. In December 2009, Storm 360 reprised its role as international booking and talent manager, bringing in such world class talents as gospel artists Ron Kenoly, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, and r&b and hip hops stars Keri Hilson and Wyclef Jean.
 
In 2010, its projects will include 100% Naija, which will record in Lagos , London and New York for Channel O, Naija Sings second edition for Mnet, the Samsung Love Experience, and Nigeria : The Series, a ground-breaking historical drama series currently in development by Storm 360 and Serengeti Networks. A public presentation of the project will hold on February 9th under the distinguished Chairmanship of His Excellency, General Yakubu Gowon GCFR, with special guests including H.E. Dr Alex Ekwueme GCON and others. The brand is also launching the first talent and booking agency in Nigeria and as such will collapse this business into this company.  
 
More remarkably, 2010 will mark Storm 360’s debut into film. “We will bring our considerable production experience and creative capacity to the world of film, both partnering with other productions and developing our own original projects,” Asika said at the conference. “This year, there’s no part of the country that won’t feel the storm.”
 
For more information:

 

Pat Utomi, Abike Dabiri, Ben Bruce, others speak at The Future Pre-Awards Conference! REGISTER NOW!

2:05 AM Edit This 125 Comments »

Registration has begun for the second edition of the annual The Future Pre-Awards “Do Something” Conference. It holds on Saturday, 6 February 2010, a day before the awards night.
                         
“We will be giving young people the rare opportunity to meet some of the highest achieving young Nigerians you can find,” Chude Jideonwo, the event’s creative director said. “The conference was an idea that started last year as an extension of our plans to use The Future Awards to develop more practical programmes that can give young people access to knowledge skills and experience that can move them forward. As usual, the focus of our efforts is on role modelling, and this follows that trend.” 
 
The Future conference is different from other conferences because the young people are not sitting down and listening to lectures. “We don’t want that – there is enough of that and we don’t think it’s particularly effective, especially given how broken down our structures are in this country,” Jideonwo said. “At this point, we believe that Nigeria needs to listen to young people to know their issues and how to engage them. Therefore, the format is that these young people are free to ask these role models any questions they have. It’s no holds barred!”
 
The conference, which has the payoff, “Stop watching. Stop waiting. Stop wanting. Do something!”, holds at the main hall of the popular Welcome Centre, International Airport Road , Ikeja at 10am. The gate fee for the conference is, as usual, highly subsidised at N500, and participants can register at the venue of the event by 8am, or they can register on the website www.thefuturenigeria.com before then to get confirmed seats.
 
“We are very excited about the speakers that we have. These are Nigerians at the highest levels. The chairman and MD of Shell, Mutiu Sunmonu; the chairman of the Silverbird Group, Ben Bruce; Hon. Abike Dabiri and others,” Jideonwo said. “The conference is broken into three parts: the first generation has Mr. Sunmonu, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode who is chairman of Access Bank and others, the second generation has Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Mo Abudu, Fela Durotoye, Tonye Cole of Sahara Energy and others, and then the third generation with Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Gbenga Sesan, singer MI, our Business Owner of the Year Mosunmola Umoru, and others.”
 
More information on the conference and the awards are on www.thefuturenigeria.com. Interested participants can also call Eyitayo on 08022226712.
 
 
The Full List of Speakers
 
Mutiu Sunmonu, MD, Shell Nigeria
Dele Olojede, Publisher Next Newspaper

Pat Utomi, Centre for Values in Leadership
Atedo Peterside, MD, IBTC Chartered
Ben Bruce, Chairman, Silverbird Group  

Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman, Access Bank
Abike Dabiri, Member, House of Representatives
 
Ituah Ighodalo, Principal Partner, Banwo & Ighodalo
Reuben Abati, Chairman, The Guardian Editorial Board
Biodun Shobanja, Chaiman, Insight Communications

Mo Abudu, Presenter, Moments with Mo
Nicholas Okoye, MD, Anabel Mobile
Tonye Cole, MD, Sahara Energy
Detoun Ogwo, ED, After Graduate Development Centre
Poju Oyemade, Covenant Christian Centre
Fela Durotoye, CEO, Visible Impact   
Kolawole Ogunbajo, CEO, Avis Nigeria
 
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Actor/Producer
MI Abaga, Singer/Performer
Mosunmola Umoru, Farmer/TFA Business Owner of the Year 2009
Tolu Ogunlesi, CNN Africa Journalist of the Year
Cobhams Asuquo, Singer/Music Producer
Hassan Rilwan, Publisher, Sardauna Magazine
Omawumi Megbele, Singer/Actress
Dapo Oyewole, Executive Director, Centre for African Policy & Peace Strategy
Gbenga Sesan, ED, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria

The Future Newsletter December 2009

7:08 PM Edit This 3 Comments »


What’s up!

The Future “Do Something” Pre-Awards Conference is here!
As we introduced last year, plans are seriously on ground in preparation of the next pre-awards conference and this happens a day before the event – on the 6th of February. Where else would you get under one roof the Managing Director/Chairman of Shell Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu Chairman of Access Bank, Gbenga Oyebode (MFR); Member of the House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri amongst very many others? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All for 500 naira only! Registration starts on January 11, 2010. Only 1000 seats available!!!

We have prizes for you on our website!!!
We want you to visit our website, and get new updates, find out what’s hot for young people in Nigeria, read our blogs (our bloggers include TV presenter Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Abuja City Crawler Ijeoma Okeagu and the sensational Nki’ru. Njoku), take part in our hot, hot polls, and do the other fun stuff! So we have designed a competition to make it worth your while! Just go to the website, go to the ‘Fun Stuff’ link, answer the SIMPLE questions, and then you win a t-shirt or sticker every week, tickets and invitations to the hottest events around the country, and more! www.thefuturenigeria.com!

Tell us how The Future Awards has changed your life!
Every day we get stories of young people who have been motivated or inspired by The Future Project/The Future Awards. Those stories encourage us, and we want to hear more! So if The Future Awards or any of our projects or winners have renewed your faith in Nigeria, inspired you to finish or start a project or business or idea, helped you practically in any way etc, we want to get your story, and if you want, we would put it on the website! But mostly we want to know those whose lives have changed! Send us a mail right away at thefuturenigeria@yahoo.com or info@thefuturenigeria.com or call our Communications Coordinator on 08022226712. It doesn’t have to be well written or long – just tell it the way you feel it!

Voting has been extended by one week – and one week only!
Voting for The Future Awards has been extended by one week! The major reasons for this extension, the organisers reveal, is first, because short profiles of the various nominees have just been uploaded on the website www.thefuturenigeria.com. Also, after the two week complaint period, certain minimal challenges have been made on the Nominees List.

Therefore, people who wanted to vote for nominees in specific categories but were unable to do so because they did not know anything about the nominees or their achievements can now make informed choices and vote to reward achievement in the various categories. And if you already knew who to vote for, then you have a greater opportunity to make sure that your candidate gets more votes! Remember you can vote as many times as you want! 

To vote: sms TFA (space) Name of nominee (space) Category

To vote in Nigeria, sms to 33120
To vote in the UK, sms to 81696
To vote in the US, sms to 97605

The voting ends at 12 midnight on Friday the 7th of January 2010. There will be NO more extensions after this one.

Grab this opportunity…. NOW!!!!!:-)

We need your help!
We need you to help us spread the word! Help us spread the word on Facebook and Twitter for people to join the movement on www.thefuturenigeria.com. So help us plug the nominations info on your Facebook and Twitter updates for at least a week. Don’t forget to also add #irepresentnaija. You could have a general message like: “I am Eyitayo Aiyejumoh, and ‘I represent Naija’, visit www.thefuturenigeria.com to get all the latest info,” and please get your friends to join the group The Future Project! Just add 5 friends to the group and we’ll be fine!  Spread the word also through your blogs, websites, and forums.

Get branded “I represent Naija” tshirts and blazers!  
Have you seen the coolest young people ROCKING them??! Our ‘I represent Naija’ tees and stickers have sold widely across Nigeria. The first batch t-shirts are SOLD OUT! And now a new batch of the t-shirts from Clemas are out! They are branded ‘I represent Naija’, ‘I represent Nigeria’ and ‘I am the future’. We also have the new t-shirts from Ouch! You can also get the customized blazers that are beeeeaaauuuutiful. All these can be delivered to you at home or work for a small extra cost. Just call our Communications Coordinator on 08022226712 NOW or send a mail to info@thefuturenigeria.com!

Catch us on radio and TV!
In the past month, more media partners joined the train! Now we have Kiss FM, BusinessDay, Ovation, LTV, TV Continental and Radio Continental. We are officially the event with the most mainstream media partners, and we have enveloped the airwaves!
Our promos can be seen on these partners as well as on our other major partners: STV, HiSoccer, HiNolly, Nigezie, Channels TV, Moments with Mo (NTA Network), Views & Tunes and Excite TV. The radio promos are on Rhythm Fm, Inspiration FM, Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Beat FM, Kiss FM and Hot FM. Other media partners include NEXT, Encomium, Genevieve, TW, Bellanaija.com, Ladybrille.com, Notjuskok.com, Exquisite, The Applause, nigezie.tv and Acada!

Become a project partner!
If you belong to any fellowship, club, association, youth church or youth religious group, campus group or any other gathering of young people and you want us to come talk about The Future Awards or you want to partner with us in any way, please send a mail tagged ‘Partner’ to thefuturenigeria@yahoo.com or info@thefuturenigeria.com or just call our Communications Coordinator on 08022226712.

Join our database – give us feedback!
In our quest to build a network of young Nigerians who have a burning desire to bring about change to our great nation, we would love you to continually send us comments/advice on how to push this cause a step further. We would definitely get back to you. Join our database, give us your feedback!

What went down!

Our site is Top 200!

Our website, which has always been one of the top Nigerian websites for young people, has become one of the top 200 sites in the country! It’s just amazing! What’s even more impressive is that – it is one Nigerian website with more than 60% of the hits coming from within Nigeria; so tell us those people who said Nigerians in Nigeria are not passion interested in the future of this country? With amazing presence on Twitter and Facebook, this is without doubt the number one youth platform in the country – no other platform comes even close!

The Future of Fashion
 A project that has been in the pipeline for some time now. In our bid to project our rich culture by bringing back that national heritage which has for so long been sidelined, we would be bringing together from time to time , established/upcoming fashion designers to come showcase their stuff. As we celebrated 160 Nominees – marking the nominees reception for the 2010 Awards – at the Nominees reception tagged, ‘Get Your Green On’, this project was formally introduced.

The Town Hall Train comes to a grand stop!
We promised that we were coming, you waited, we came and you weren’t disappointed. We visited every state and every country that we promised to visit. It afforded us the opportunity to meet with young Nigerians home and abroad, discussing issues of national interest and how best to forge ahead. The last set of Town Halls were in the UK, Johannesburg, Ile-Ife and Benin.  The acceptance of The Future Awards in these places was tremendous: everyone is excited! Check the RedSTRAT profile on Facebook for pictures or check the website www.thefuturenigeria.com.

TFESS internships have started

We are indeed pleased to inform you that the first set of The Future Enterprise Support Scheme (TFESS) training has been completed and the trainees placed for internships at firm where they will be able to put in what they have learnt to best use and also see how they can tap from the wealth of experience of these organisations.

The ‘I Represent Naija Creed’!

Call it a call to patriotism or nationalism, but in December we unveiled the ‘I represent Naija creed’, which encapsulates some of the key values of the new Nigerian in simple terms. We read it at the end of every event we are a part of and at all our town hall meetings across the country and outside and the energy is unbelievable!

THE I REPRESENT NAIJA CREED:

*     I will not steal government money!
*     I will not collect a bribe!
*      I will not cover up fraud!
*      I am not corrupt!
*      I love my country!
*      I truly believe Nigeria can work!
*      I will do my bit to make change happen!
*      I will vote in election!
*      I am the future!
*      I represent Nigeria!

You can find it on the website and download it from the RedSTRAT profile as a screen saver or anything else, but even better, all of those at the conference and the awards get a physical copy free! You’ll love it!

The HiTV official signing

One of our main sponsors HiTV, under HiMedia, one of Nigeria’s proudly Nigerian brands that has become a major force in such a short time called The Future Awards for an official signing at their offices that the media fell over itself to cover.:-). We are proud of the giant strides that HiTV, with it chief executive, the inspired Toyin Subair have made in the past few years and we are excited to work with them. Get your HiTV now!!!

The Nominees List is out – and then the reception!

Yes!! It’s finally out. 160 young Nigerians who have been brightest and best in the past one year, from music and the movies to business and technology. You can view the list our website – www.thefuturenigeria.com. They were celebrated at the Nominees Reception, which held 18 December at Terra Kulture, which was a night of stars, fashion and great entertainment, You SHOULD see that list – it will renew your faith in Nigeria! The Nominees Reception was held with support from Yvent Kouture, Tremor Perfect, 12 Baskets, Diamonds and Pearls, Liberty Media, Cocktails in and Out and TechnoTainment. You can also see pictures from the spectacular fashion show – House of Nwaocha, Toni Clothing, Kashogy Consults, S&D Clothing, and others – on our website www.thefuturenigeria.com

Supporting enterprise!

As a way of supporting young people in industry, The Future Project bought 50 tickets for ‘Facing the Giants’ – A two days seminar/training with speakers like Fela and Tara Fela Durotoye, Toyosi Akerele and a host of other great initiators of change. “God bless you for doing this. You cannot imagine what those two days did for me,” one of the participants said and it warms our hearts. More to come under our The Future Enterprise Support Scheme (TF-ESS) programme!

Celebrating volunteers

On World Volunteers day, 5 December 2009, we gathered our almost a hundred volunteers who are giving their time and talent to work for the future, and we celebrated them; and thanked them for their commitment. Unfortunately, on the same day we stopped accepting volunteers. But you can be part of the event in other ways. Check the website www.thefuturenigeria.com!

Judging has begun!
Below, again, is the process through which The Future Awards winners are decided:
1)      Nominations are launched in October and are collected online over a period of two months. Anybody can nominate anyone they think deserved the awards.   2)      The Central Working Committee reviews ALL the nominations, conducts independent research and selects 8 nominees per category; which is the long list. 3)      There is a 2-week period when this long list is published online and in the media so that people can formally make complaints about age, false claims, and public policy concerns amongst others. 4)      During this period, nominations forms are sent to ALL nominees to get details of their work and achievements. We also the offices of certain nominees, especially in the entrepreneurship categories, to inspect and confirm claims. 5)     The Board of Judges, made up of 25 young journalists – drawn from The Guardian, Thisday, Daily Trust, The Punch etc – assesses the profiles and then and prunes down from the long list of 8 to a short list of 5 nominees per category. (Note that when any member of the board of judges is made a nominee, he/she immediately steps down from being a judge).    6)      This short list goes to the Independent Audit Committee made up of 30 distinguished Nigerians, some of whom are mentioned above, and chaired by Dr. Reuben Abati, who is the chairman of the editorial board of The Guardian. They look at the profiles, thoroughly vet it from their professional distance, and select 3 nominees per category; those are the finalists. 7)      This list goes back to the board of judges one week before the event – because we want young people to be the ones to make the final decision – who then decide the winners for each category.
The board of judges has done their first stage, and once the voting has concluded on January 8, the results will be added and the journey hots up!
Thank you very much for connecting with this vision to inspire and empower a new generation of Nigerian leaders. You can get any information on any of the above, including plenty of pictures, on www.thefuturenigeria.com.

For any enquiry, information or anything else, send us a mail on info@thefuturenigeria.com or thefuturenigeria@yahoo.com and we’ll get right back at ya!

Compliments of:
The Future Project, Nigeria
Aspire. Strive. Achieve
www.thefuturenigeria.com