From a Slow Year Start to 10X Growth; 2022 Year in Review

Starting Out

I spent my Christmas for year 2021 in London and came in to the new year (2022) with super high hopes. I had laid out my plan and was prepared to take off faster than the speed of light come January. I had a nice personal cross over into the new year at a rented cute Airbnb around Grove park in Lewisham away from friends or family because of how seriously I wanted to think about and plan the execution of my new year resolution.

I stepped into the new year super energized. But I was in for a big shocker. I invested my energy in to my plans in January, worked very hard for the whole month but got a very bad news just around the end of January - 30th January that all my effort was for naught. This sent me on a spiral of depression as I questioned the whole essence of why I was so convinced that the project will work and planned it since October of the previous year. I spent time, money and endured mental stress.

Dealing with Early Failure

My depression continued into the whole month of February and even my birthday of 28th February couldn't cheer me up. I did lots of lovely things for my birthday just to push that feeling away but it didnt go away, I still got back home at night and cried.

My original plans did not come to pass but in March 2022 another ray of hope shone. A conversation I had started with UK philantropy - Commonwealth Human Ecology Council picked up again and we finalised arrangements for the first pilot of a solar schools project. In April 2022, my organization Glow Initiative for Economic Empowerment got a contract to be the formal Nigerian partner for a US state department project to implement the US/Nigeria higher Education.

My year Mainly started in May 2022 in the middle of the year and yet my best year yet. I truly cannot fathom how we were able to implement over 20 time consuming, far reaching projects even with a slow start.

It wasn't the right path..

It seemed to me that the failed plans, disappointment and discouragement I had gone through signaled that it was not the right path. Additionally it was a training field. A test to see where my allegiances were. In other words - now that your plans have failed you, what would you do?

I am glad for the lessons I learned early 2022 and I am happy to share with you that a lot more opportunities opened up for me and my work and this is how we created?economic?growth in Nigeria through these 20+ projects.

Our Projects Had Significant Impact in Nigeria's Economy; Details Below;

Strategic Partnerships Formed in 2022

? 1) My Non profit?Glow Initiative for Economic Empowerment ?was chosen to be the formal?Nigerian?partner for the?U.S. Department of State ?for the launch and execution of the US/Nigeria Higher Education Program which:

??Trained and hosted 32 Nigerian?#VCs

??Explored opportunities for partnerships to enable Nigerians earn US degrees in Nigerian universities

??Strategic discussions on barriers such as Visa.

? 2) Formed a Strategic partnership with UK non profit?Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) ?who funded our Solar for Schools Community Project;

??Provided electricity access for 536 students from an offgrid secondary school

??Solar powered Library and computer center in Ebonyi State.

? 3) Our partnership with leading Nigeria financial institution -?Access Bank Plc ?grew stronger as they:

??Adopted many more of our programs.

??Worthy of note is the?Climate Leadership Fellowship ?Leadership Fellowship which they have adopted to fund across four industry sectors four qtrs. (four times) Of the year.

Projects Executed

? 4) My baby project?Africa Fellowship for Young Energy Leaders (AFYEL) ?began its second cohort and:

??Received 50 fellows (lecturers,?#engineers ) from 15?#African ?countries– this program is highly intensive and the level of stress with it frightened me very much that I almost didn’t hold a second cohort.

? 5) Our program?Climate Leadership Fellowship ?Cohort 2 – For the second time, our 12 week program held and collectively reached 30 fellows who trained 15k students in 30 schools across 26 states &community members using the climate education toolkit resource and created green clubs.

? 6) Solar Skills Empowerment Program (Batch 5 and 6); Funded by Access bank, we trained 120 youths in 2 states on the?#engineering ?of solar power – design and installation and business opportunities within the solar sector. 30% of trainees have started their solar businesses and increased economic growth in community by 43%.

? 7) Solar for Schools Community Project batch (batches 3 and 4) This project worked in 2 offgrid schools in Itchi community, Nsukka and Anambra and provided solar power to enable 1780 students study?#computer .

? 8) Project Light Up Urualla and Alibahuru – through both projects we provided solar power for 2 night markets reducing dependence on kerosene lantern which causes blindness and health issues. Now the women can sell for longer and increase revenue.

? 9)?Climate Leadership Fellowship ; Special Focus on?#Energy ; We launched the?#Flagship ?Climate Leadership Fellowship; Energy and invested into young Nigerians in the clean cooking, electric cars or solar power sector. They in turn impacted 17, 000 community members using the Climate education toolkit.

? 10) Climate Ambassadors Literacy Program (CALP) launched during COP 27, Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt, the CALP announced a flagship product – the climate info box designed to make climate learning fun for primary schools in Africa. This projects 1st pilot donated the info box to the library of 10 schools and trained their teachers.

? 11) School of Climate Action (Climate Soldier Movement) - My newest baby? project - Launched during COP27 will work with persons globally and CLF fellows to collect and provide access to climate data to ensure that climate finance will go to the most affected people in most affected areas. Check out the SoCA platform and how you can be a part - https://climateleadershipfellowship.org/school-of-climate-action/

? 12) SHE CAN; Solar Champions Initiative for Girls – This project invested in 50 girls in soot affected portharcourt and trained them on solar engineering basics – all trainees said they will study engineering. We installed solar power in the library of this school to encourage more girls in STEM.

? 13) Our new project adopted by Access Bank – Climate Champions Literacy Program – Donated copies of climate change textbooks and resources to 5 schools, trained teachers and students to be climate smart.

? 14) Other Projects, Ozone Climate Week, Save Biodiversity in Delta – both in their 4th year this program planted trees, created a climate short film and educated over 5000 community members in oil spillage communities in Delta State.

? 15) Clean Water Project – Provided access to a borehole for Nwanfu village who have to dig a sandy ground with hand to find clean water.

? 16) Climate Leadership Fellowship cohort 4 – announced December 2022 (https://climateleadershipfellowship.org/ ) will invest into 30 youths to promote climate education.

Personal Achievements

??Very dear to my heart was the creation of the RETTI Scholarship Scheme to service youths from my new community in ETIOSA LGA through which we empowered 30 of them to build solar panels - this is the most expensive project I have led till date.

??This year I launched - Getting it Right with Glory to provide clarity for business leaders leveraging my 8 year coaching experience, first pilot invested into 6 businesses.

??This year I launched The Glory Project? Annual Business Support Gala and Fair for Women and held a successful first pilot for women in my new community in ETIOSA LGA

Thank you for reading! May 2023 be prosperous for you!