Managing the “Special” Project Stakeholders in Africa

Stakeholders include persons who come about the idea of a project, provide funds for executing it, work to achieve its objectives, intermittently observe the work to measure its progress and finally utilise its deliverables. Simply put, they are the reasons why projects exist. Since projects are unique and timely endeavours aimed at producing verifiable end results and stakeholders are those whose behaviours affect the project positively or otherwise, then no project can be successful without receiving suitable inputs from its stakeholders. Yet, the responsible personnel must effectively manage all these stakeholders or people with different personalities. 

 

Though he has other responsibilities, it is the job of the project manager to identify and manage all stakeholders. Any error made in these two processes could be very critical as they may lead to failure, rework or additional cost. When the project manager has prior experience in the project type, his problems are reduced. He can apply background knowledge obtained from previous projects to the current work and consult subject matter experts or more experienced team members. Additionally, the organisation’s bank of historical records may provide more illumination on this task. That is why the updating of lesson learned documents remains vital in all ongoing projects. But if still in doubt that all stakeholders have been appropriately identified, it will be in his best interest to consult a senior management personnel.

However, when handling new projects or starting off your first job as a project manager, stakeholders can be quite difficult to identify and manage. In certain locations in Africa, where new and special stakeholders often emerge everyday, it is not an easy job to know who could suddenly decide to have a stake in your project. An example is found in Nigeria where the indigenes of certain areas often disturb project’s progress when their demand for money is not met. Though without legal backing, these natives claim they ought to be paid before any work can be done at project sites. Unfortunately, failure to give them audience or cooperate and negotiate with them may affect the successful implementation of the project.

Yet, requests for such incentives may recur throughout the project duration and increase the cost of completing the project...

 

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The Role of Nigerian Women in Agro-allied Industries

In Nigeria, women’s involvement in business dates back to as far as the pre-colonial era. During those periods, the average Nigerian woman was hardly educated. There were no gender inequality critics and preference was traditionally shown towards the male child or preferred heir. Very few girls were lucky to receive education and even when they did, it was not always absolute. More times than not, instead of allowing her to complete her education, the girl child was withdrawn from school and sent to farm in the woods or sell articles at the market square. Eventually, she was given out to an interested suitor. For most young women, the cycle continued at their husband’s house.

In the absence of a literate husband or one that valued education, farm work, petty trading and childbearing occupied the productive portion of the average Nigerian woman in the 80's. In a dissertation titled, From Petty Traders to International Merchants: A Historical Account of Three IGBO Women of Nigeria in Trade and Commerce, 1886 to 1970, a former UCLA scholar, Gloria Chukwu, examined the lives of three women whose devotion to trade reflects the influence of the typical Igbo woman in Nigerian business. Her studies show that the average Igbo woman’s effort in trade, commerce and agriculture is inseparable from the foundation of her community’s economy. Similarly, Effah Attoe’s Women in the Development of Nigeria Since pre-colonial Times investigates the roles of women in developing the Nigerian economy through the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras.

Today, there are many businesswomen in Nigeria. From iconic scholars of economics and management to successful entrepreneurs, several Nigerian women have clearly distinguished themselves as top industry pillars and business leaders. Though the Igbo women are generally said to be exceptional in business, several other women from the Yoruba tribe have also attained the heights of renown in entrepreneurship. Examples of Igbo and Yoruba women who readily come to mind are Chief (Dr) Hannah Awolowo, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, etc...

Continued at: CBA's Your World View

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Members in Lagos Challenge Students to Expand their Vocabulary

According to the Wikipedia, a spelling bee is a competition, where the contestants, usually children, are asked to spell English words. Each time a contestant is unable to spell a word correctly, they are eliminated and this removal process continues until an overall winner and some runner-ups emerge. And while the Wikipedia accounts that the phrase, spelling bee, was first used in 1825, the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary documents its date of original use as 1875. But regardless of the degree of precision of either date, the spelling bee concept, which allegedly originates from the United States,
has since its inception spread to other Anglophone countries of the world, where it is often observed as a national competition.

Towards developing better vocabulary power in the students of the Eti-Osa 1 Local Government (LG) in Victoria Island, the Drama Community Development Group of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos State, Nigeria recently embarked on a spelling bee project in the community. The event was held simultaneously in six different classes for an approximate period of forty minutes. Almost all the students in each class participated but a total of 24 winners were given gift items, with 4 students making it through to the end in each classroom. The purpose of the event was to challenge the students to expand their vocabulary and actuate correct English spelling.

The gifts presented were sponsored by Addax Petroleum while the organisation of the contest was spearheaded by corps members Bode Olatunji, Chioma Obiora, Adewa Adeola, Farooq Kolawole, Grace Okey, Ugonma Udenze, Nike Adebayo, Agbo Raymond and Eke Kingsley. Each winner received the gift of a quality school bag for competing boldly and scaling through the preliminary stages of the contest. The corps members were moved by the students’ heavy participation because they were supposed to sit for some continuous assessment tests lately scheduled to hold after the competition. For the students of the Victoria Island Junior Secondary School, November 26, 2011 was a day of work and excitement.

Read More>> at www.cp-africa.com

NYSC Members Discover Talents at KSC

NYSC Drama CD members at the Event

These days in Nigeria and with the global economic situation, classroom education is not enough to give youths a source of income. In fact, education does not guaranty employment rather, it makes students employable. As such, youths who have seen the four walls of high schools and universities with the evidence of due certificates are not necessarily going to get jobs after graduation. This is because certificates do not provide jobs. Instead, they confer the right to be given jobs upon potential job seekers. The reality is that the Nigerian labour market cannot absorb the number of students graduating from our secondary schools and higher institutions annually. These schools graduate students who become idle due to the inadequacy of vacancies. And since idle hands are the devils laboratory, these promising young minds often fall to various negative vices that create the troubles of teenage pregnancy, theft, insecurity, violence, and even terrorism existing in our society. Only those who are able to escape the trauma of prolonged joblessness by engaging in entrepreneurship and talent exhibition survive.

It was in the light of these facts that the NYSC Drama Community Development Group of the Eti-Osa 1 local government located in Victoria Island took up the responsibility of catching tomorrow’s talents young in their own special way. Being one of the youth corps members of the drama CD group, I was privileged to witness the course of events and now bring you a briefing. The approach we utilized in impacting the life of these youths was to execute a talent hunt project titled, “The KSC Talent Hunt” and our overall objective was to discover and encourage the exceptional talents among them. The project idea, being an output of a brainstorming executive meeting suggested by the Drama CD coordinator, Alhaja Igara A.O., was initiated by a team of Drama CD leaders namely: Bode Olatunji, Oscar Odeigah, Juan Onasanya, Corper Anita and Ekeagwu Khan. These wonderful folks met on the 21st of October and came up with the talent show idea which later developed into an ongoing project. A project team consisting of the executive CD members and other dynamic corps members was set up to ensure the attainment of its deliverables. That was how the project kicked off. Today, it can be said that the Drama CD group of Eti-Osa 1 LG have not just influenced their environment but also heightened the hopes of many students in the Kuramo Senior Secondary School.

For the complete article visit: www.cp-africa.com