Let's Act: Conversations with Toks

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Hello Sustainable Friends... Welcome to this episode titled, 'Re-engineering the Mindset of African Children through STEAM Skills'

Adetola Salau is an author, social innovative entrepreneur, future-readiness advocate, global educator, Engineer, and an all-around transformation agent with over 20 years of experience driving dramatic results in the education sector and re-engineering the mindset of African children to create their own economic prosperity through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics skills.

Adetola Salau is also the Senior Special Assistant on Education to the Executive Governor of Lagos State.

I enjoyed every minute of our conversation!  We talked about:

• STEAM being transdisciplinary (bringing various subjects together) and how it can be used to solve challenges around the world
• 'A' - Arts was introduced into the STEAM family to ensure inclusiveness, as most students felt there was no need to be part of the STEM movement especially, as they had no flair for the science subjects in school
• Bootcamps, Drone Technology, Cell Phone Training, Solar Cell Set-up, Climate Change, Entrepreneurship Training, and much more across the Lagos State, Nigeria
• Funding and the plans for 2022 in the STEAM space in Lagos, across Nigeria, Africa and her hope for children and youth towards developing innovative solutions 
• Stories of some great achievements to date

Adetola is very passionate about STEAM. You will love this practical insight!

Happy listening!

@LetsActAfrica
@TokunboIfaturoti

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Hi Sustainable Friends - Welcome to this episode titled 'Lessons Learned: Great Strides from Daniel's Journey'. Daniel is passionate about youth development, good governance, capacity building, and environmental sustainability.

Daniel discusses the following:
The importance of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) for African youth, the YouLead Summit,  youth capacity, and peacebuilding.  Youth need to participate in governance, transparency, and accountability practices and get ready to Lead!.

• About 60% of Africans are under the age of 25 years which makes the African continent the youngest in the world. 
• There are more than enough agile and proactive people to develop the Africa we want but mindsets need to change.
• ACFTA is creating jobs for young Africans in communication, transport, tourism, construction, e-commerce, education system, financial services, health, and the movement of persons.
• Africa and the world need to believe in the goods and services Africa produces.

Daniel Akinjise is a young active citizen who was recognized by the United Nations Nigeria with the Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2020, and the "Thumb Award" by Enough is Enough Nigeria in 2018 for his commitment to ensuring youth participation in governance in Nigeria. 

In 2019, he was nominated for the MAATHAI IMPACT AWARD, where he served as a consultant on youth and peacebuilding for Peace Direct and United Networks of Young (UNOY) Peace-builders.

Daniel was selected as a delegate to attend the World Youth Forum-Egypt in 2019, West Africa Youth Internet Governance Forum-Sierra Leone in 2020, and YOULEAD Business Leaders and Policy Makers Bootcamp-Tanzania in 2021.

His experience working with youth-led nonprofits has helped him acquire skills in Capacity Building, Graphic Design, Photography, and Storytelling. 

He’s the founder of TAD Initiative, (a youth-led platform focused on climate actions and environmental sustainability), and Empowered Youth, (an Initiative that helps young people to acquire skills through mentorship and peer learning).

 Daniel has worked and supported movements on human capacity development and economic empowerment (British Council, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Heinrich Boll Stiftung Foundation, Leap Africa, USAID, EIE Nigeria, etc). 

Please listen, enjoy, like, and share!

Many thanks.

@Tokunboifaturoti

@LetsActAfrica

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Hello Sustainable Friends and welcome to this episode titled: Financing the Energy Transition in Africa.

I had a wonderful and insightful time with my guest Caleb Adebayo. Enjoy!

Caleb is a youth and lawyer a focuses on developing Africa to the maximum!

He is an Energy, Environmental, and Finance Lawyer who just completed an LLM in Energy and Environmental Law Programme at New York University as a Dean’s Scholar. He is the Student Ambassador to the New York City Bar Association and a member of the City Bar’s Energy Committee.  Caleb also works as a legal intern at the State Energy and Environmental Impact Center in New York and is also the founder and team lead at Earthplus, an environmental nonprofit organization delivering sustainable environmental solutions across Africa. 

Picture this, how would you like to use solar energy for your daily activities before you pay for the full service?

Is it possible for everyone to afford Solar panels on their rooftops and Solar Home Systems without having to pay so much upfront?

Can anyone walk into a Nigerian electricity store today with 5K Naira and get a Solar Home System, Installation of Solar panels on his/her roof, and/or access the use of a Solar mini-grid worth 250K Naira of electricity consumption per year?

Listen in to hear if that is possible especially if Solar access becomes securitized where Solar Sevices are enjoyed before you are able to pay off your Solar Sevices bills!

Who then will bear the risks? The investors or the energy subscribers?

How were challenges in Rwanda and Kenya overcome?

Is the role of private investors to finance energy transition and how can Africa be attractive to foreign investors in this space?

Oil companies now rebranding with clear Renewable Energy objectives...what is the Continent doing?

Please - Listen, Like, and Share!

Many thanks,

@Tokunbo Ifaturoti 

@Let'sActAfrica

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Hello Sustainable Friends... Welcome to this episode titled 'Entrepreneurship: Women with Voices in Africa'.

My guest Toyin Dania is an Entrepreneurial Specialist and Project Manager with nearly 20 years of experience in the West African domain improving economic opportunities of various groups to realize the personal and development benefits of enterprise. 

Toyin has over 30 years+ of international development and enterprise experience with a concentration in NGO communities in the UK Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. 

Toyin known as the 'Connectprenuer' who moved to Ghana in 2014 has not looked back. She shares her passion for empowering others especially women under the famous Women Entrepreneurship Day Organisation WEDO and recently celebrated the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Summit in November 2021 ( a UN/New York Virtual Summit).

Highlights of Toyin's engagements include working closely with:

• Kimberly Marshall - Investor and Advisor at Goldman Sachs who has access to $1Billion to invest in women of African and Latino descent. This is to empower and support women in business to alleviate poverty.
• The Green Butterfly Organisation. A grassroots sustainable development artisan market where women amplify their voices and merchandise in a cohesive and collaborative way in a designated space that encourages togetherness in development. They showcase and sell items such as soap, candles, clothes, jewelry, and more!
• Street Children Empowerment Foundation as a board member for Street Children Empowerment Foundation (@SCEF) where social work professionals harness a holistic family approach to bring education and enterprise opportunities to families in Jamestown, Ghana.

I enjoyed every minute of our interview and I know you will too!
 
To find out more about how you can connect with Toyin and share opportunities: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toyin-dania-a66a5933/

#WEDOAFRICA #WEDO2021 #CHOOSEWOMEN

Happy listening!

@LetsActAfrica
@TokunboIfaturoti

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Hello Sustainable Friends... Welcome to this episode titled 'Youth Leadership and Empowerment: What Next?'

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
If not now, then when?”- Hillel
“If not me, then who?'' - Dr. Ariel

My guest DR. ARIEL ROSITA KING, MPH, MBA, Ph.D. (UK), DTM&H, Ph.D. (France) is the President, Ariel Foundation International and Ariel Consulting International.

Dr. Ariella (Ariel) Rosita King (www.drarielking.com) founded the Ariel Foundation International (www.arielfoundation.org) in 2002, as a non-profit organization with an international focus on children and youth-inspired leadership and participation worldwide. 

I found this episode profound as we identified the need to create a positive impact for people and the planet. 

Mindsets simply need to change to achieve this outcome. 

Young people will increasingly play a significant role in this journey. But, how can we help them to achieve the change they deserve?

Young leaders — between the ages of 18 and 29 years old — represent the diverse voices of young people from every region of the world, and are collectively responsible for activating millions of other young people in support of the SDGs. 

This group will come together as a community to support efforts to engage young people in the realization of the SDGs both through strategic opportunities within the UN and through various existing initiatives, platforms, and networks.

Change most times starts with the youth!... We need to move over!

Happy listening!

@LetsActAfrica
@TokunboIfaturoti

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Hello Sustainable Friends!

Promise Nwogu talks about how Energy Poverty affects up to 90% of those living in Africa.

Can the Continent achieve the SDG 7 Goal? - Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. This forms the pillar for the well-being of people across the world so Africa is no different.

Which of the following emit the lowest carbon emissions - Gas, Coal, or Oil?

Solar Panels Vs Electricity. What does renewable energy mean?

Global Warming, Fog, Bushfires, Corn Roasting, how can we combat the effect of climate issues?

Nigeria, Gambia, Burkina Faso...hear more about these countries.

Have you heard of the Sprinkle and Sleep Method? 

I found this so easy to understand! 

Happy Listening!
 

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Hello Sustainable Friends.  Welcome to Episode 3. Here we seek to understand – How change can happen?

Dr. Meera Tiwari talks about her new book titled, ‘Why Some Development Works – Understanding Success’.

We unpack: Why some development works with real case studies.

The Convergence Framework: Why we need 3 main actors to effect change in any given community and who they are.

The Kerosene Story: How women in rural Bihar, India find their voices as a collective and Self-Help Group and make a difference in their community despite being marginalized.

The Farmer in Ethiopia: Why he tried to understand how climate change affects his land and produce and became a key example in his community.

Sustainable Development Goals: What does the mantra ‘Leave No One Behind mean’?

 Lessons learned can be adapted across Africa and beyond to effect sustainable development.

The Book: Why Some Development Works – Understanding Success is available for purchase on www.Bloomsbury.com. 35% Discount - Now £14.29. Case studies are drawn from Brazil, India, Ethiopia, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and Lebanon. 

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On this Let's Act: Sustainably Developing Africa and Beyond podcast, and in this episode titled: Bon Voyage! The Rush Back to Nigeria, I will provide a helicopter overview of why some Africans in the diaspora went back to Africa.  To put things into perspective, the context reloves loosely on my family's journey back to Nigeria by sea!

Like for many others as well, the move was for primarily, a better lifestyle and to be with their extended families but somewhere down the line, their experiences were shaped by economic, social, and environmental realities and issues. I will highlight some reality checks and a very brief economic history of Africa through 4 eras.

Most importantly, I am keen to understand the historical context behind a continent that is rich in agriculture and natural resources, yet is clearly performing poorly on many of the development indicators. High unemployment rates, poverty, hunger, and maternal health spaces are badly hit. 

Looking through a global lens, I am able to raise rhetorical questions such as - how come other countries are meeting targets to make their countries and the world a better place? How can capacity be built in Africa to ensure that health, education, economic growth, and much more become the focus objective?  I will show some linkages to sustainable development and signpost a way forward!

Sit back, enjoy and stay connected with me.  It will be great to hear from you too.

@TokunboIfaturoti
@LetsActAfrica
#LetsAct

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Hi Sustainable Friends, this introductory episode gives an overview of the 17 SDGs which can be used as a  reference point throughout all our Podcast episodes.

There is a massive call to action for everyone to help to end poverty, protect the plant and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. But is this possible? Especially in Africa? Can people’s lives be truly transformed by 2030? The answer is yes! We owe it to this generation and the next!

In order to attain a vision for a better world, there is a need to recognize, encourage, connect people, communities, and nations together to create a better Africa that supports and delivers initiatives to advance not only the African continent but global sustainable development practices. 

Therefore, in 2015, after a massive global consultative exercise, World leaders from 193 countries including African nations agreed to 17 Global Goals (these are officially known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs). These goals are amplified with clear calls for action across the world.  

Carefully consider which one (s) you can work towards developing to make a difference in your community and the world a better place.

Happy Listening!
@TokunboIfaturoti
@LetsActAfrica
#LetsAct

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Welcome Sustainable Friends! 

This is the Trailer of Let's Act: Sustainably Developing Africa and Beyond Podcast that seeks to amplify the voices of people from communities, businesses, academia, civil society organizations, governments, and more. We will share REAL solutions that can tackle and eradicate social, environmental, and economic inequalities and vulnerabilities that affect the development of many African countries. 

The Podcast Series is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals Centre for Africa, African Union Agenda 2063, and other development platforms that push the drive for the development of an Africa that we want for this generation and the next.

Let's Act Africa!