Saturday the 31st of January 2015 saw the birthing of the much talked about and very eagerly anticipated book, “Inspiring A Generation” - a book written by ‘Folakemi Fatogbe, a banker to the bankers and Director of Risk Management at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos. Continue...
‘Folakemi Fatogbe - the author, Bamidele Abiodun and Funmi Lanre-Phillips
Described, as a Personal Game-Changer “INSPIRING A GENERATION” is essentially a must-have motivational and self-development book that is woven around the election campaigns of President Barack Obama. The book
seeks to use President Obama’s historic game-changing election
campaigns and journey to the White House as a means of inspiring readers
to achieve their life dreams and aspirations irrespective of where they
are and what they have. The book seeks to
achieve this by bringing the achievements of President Obama into
people’s homes in a way and manner with which they can easily identify
and therefore also be inspired by - hopefully, to the extent that the
reader feels that they can achieve anything that they set their minds
and industry to.
Although
Obama is the case study, the writer uses Obama as a clear, proven and
relatable example and therefore role model of the ‘can do’ spirit. By
bringing to the fore such a laudable role model of our time in a manner
that most Nigerians and indeed other citizens of the world can identify
with, the author, ‘Folakemi Fatogbe seeks to make her own humble
contribution towards addressing some of the societal problems that we
have as a nation today - the premise being that the improvement and
progress of a nation, a community and indeed a family must start with
the active self-development and improvement of individuals. This is the
fulcrum of this indispensable motivational cum self-development book. The author uses the following immortal words and wisdom of the ancient philosopher Confucius to drive home this point:
“To put the world right in order,
we must first put the nation in order;
to put the nation in order,
we must first put the family in order;
to put the family in order,
we must first cultivate our personal life...”
Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC)
To present the book, the writer assembled a formidable team of men and women of excellence including: Prince Juli Adeluyi-Adelusi OFR, mni, as the Chairman – a former Minister of Health and the founder of Juli Pharmacy, Dr Konyin Ajayi (SAN) the Lead Reviewer – Principal Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Review Panelists comprised of Mrs Bola Adesola - MD & CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (Nig), Mr Chris Okeke - Renowned lawyer and industrialist and Ms Ibada Ahmed – the South African based head of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs. The book was presented by Dr Tunji Olowolafe – a businessman and Senator Babafemi Ojudu – the representative of the writer Ekiti Senate in t representing the wwith Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero – Turakin Kano being avoidably absent due to the forces of nature in Kano.Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters of Terra Kulture was the panel moderator and event organizer. Mr Bolaji Balogun – CEO, Chapel Hill Denham served as the very able compere.
The
Chairman, panel and presenters literally held the audience spell-bound
with their excellent wit-laden reviews and analyses of the book.
Dr Ajayi, not known for such effusive praise described ‘INSPIRING A
GENERATION” as a masterpiece. Mrs Adesola, said that the writer was
being modest in suggesting that the book would
affect only one generation as she felt it would affect many
generations. She also agreed that INSPIRING A GENERATION is a book
about change that encourages readers to be people of impact and
conviction. Mr Okeke, was of the view that the author had been able to
boldly craft a one of its kind motivational book that unapologetically used an emulation-worthy individual as a basis to motivate others. Ms Ahmed expressed the view that the book was an essential book
for the youth of Africa in that it had a multitude of lessons that they
could immediately learn from and imbibe into their own lives moreso
that it is imperative for African youths to seize the moment now as
there might not be a next time.
Dr Olowolafe expressed the hope that the book
would allow for the emergence of the several Obama’s in Nigeria who had
the latent capacity to champion various sectors of the economy and made
a pledge to buy a significant number for his alma mater. Senator Ojudu
on his part opined that Nigeria is a country with a major inspiration
deficit that would do well to have the inspiring messages of this book heard far and near. He rounded off by observing that as a country Nigerians are fortunate to have given rise to a book
that is world class in terms of both its form and content. He also
advised that he would be buying a significant number of copies even
though he felt that he could justifiably invoice the author, one of his
constituents for services rendered.
Ms Fatogbe, in sharing perspectives on why she wrote the book and in doing a mini recital from her book,
INSPIRING A GENERATION brought to the fore some of her own life’s
journey which added a totally different and very compelling dimension to
the book presentation, that being that the writer had actually ‘walked her talk’.
Mr Tunde Lemo, a former Deputy Governor at the CBN implored the author to see INSPIRING A GENERATION as only her debut book
which would be followed by many more. He told guests that he felt that
the author had a lot more to give not only to the CBN but also to the
nation. He mentioned how his own, recently graduated, daughter had
adopted the author as her role model a choice of which he was more than
happy with having worked with me at close quarters.
At
the end of the day, ‘the proof of the pudding’ is in the eating and I
was therefore not surprised to see the long queue of guests at the end
of the event buying multiple books with many
queuing up patiently to have them signed by the author, Ms Folakemi
Fatogbe even though she is only a first-time author. I will have to
join my voice to the multiple
All
in all, the event to me stood out for its quality, sheer class and
intimacy. It was well-organised, and well attended with no preferential
seating and captains of industry mingling freely with other guests.
The speakers were extremely articulate and knowledgeable; the audience
were attentive with many saying that they wished it could have gone on
for longer. Furthermore, there was none of the usual display of
ostentatious wealth that one tends to associate with events of this
nature in Nigeria – the only mention of money was when the Chairman
announced how much the book would retail for.
Mrs Fatogbe, ‘Folakemi – the author and Mr Chris Okeke
The lead reviewer Dr Konyin Ajayi (SAN), the author and Bolaji Balogun
The Chairman, Prince Juli Adeluyi-Adelusi and the ‘Folakemi
Mrs Bola Adesola, Bolaji Balogun, the author, Prince Adeluyi-Adelusi and Mrs Fatogbe
Bamidele Abiodun, Afolabi Balogun and Babatunde Jeje
ct now and call: +234 8027000205 to order this personal game-changer.