Participants. |
In
its determination and resolve to foster a new mindset among Nigerians, the
Mindshift Advocacy for Development Initiative has unveiled a new blue print to
get Nigerians to think differently, believe differently and to act differently,
so as to generate a mindset geared towards development.
The
event which was attended by dignitaries and the media held Thursday, October
17, 2019, at the prestigious Benue Hall of the International Conference Centre,
Abuja.
In his address Mr. Joko Okupe, the
Founder and Board of Trustee member of the Mindshift Advocacy for Development
Initiative said that “the bane of Nigeria and by extension Africa’s problems is
the mindset of Africans as individuals, communities and nations, about
themselves and the mindset of the rest of the world about Africa.
The
wrong mindset of Nigerians and Africans in general which influences the way we
do things, has created problems such as lack of visionary and purposeful
leadership, bad governance standards, erosion and loss of good value systems,
corruption, poor understanding of global issues and how it impacts their lives;
unprecedented never-ending poverty, heavy debt burdens, over dependence on
international aids, endless conflicts, inadequate education etc.” According to
him, the Initiative was incorporated on November 28, 2016 as a non-partisan,
non-governmental organization aimed at re-directing citizens’ mindsets from
negative mindsets in private lives, societies and nations to positive mindsets
that foster meaningful holistic personal, social and national development. The
initiative also seeks to activate a radical and positive change in the mindset
of the Nigerian youth – and by extension, African youth.
According to Mr. Okupe, the Mindshift
Advocacy is actually focused on shifting mindsets from negative to positive.
The movement is focused on redirecting the mindset of Nigerians from negative,
unproductive and unprogressive mindsets to positive, productive and progressive
mindsets. A destructive person has a destructive mindset and a destructive
thinking pattern.
There
is so much capacity in the power of the mind that the way and manner that the
mind is directed, determines the outcome of a man’s action. When you look at
the great nations of the world, you will discover that their people have
mindsets of greatness. The average Nigerian’s mindset is anti-progress and
anti-development. How can we have progress and development when majority of our
citizens have the wrong mindset? We cannot achieve any meaningful
transformation without a re-orientation of the citizens’ mindsets. Even
when Government decides to run a campaign on changing attitudes, the success
will depend on whether the mindsets of the citizens have changed or not. We
cannot but pay attention to how people think. We must have that clear
understanding. That essentially is the crux of the Mindshift Advocacy.
The participants. |
He
cited Mr. Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, who once said that Africa’s
transformational change will first happen at the level of mindsets before it is
translated into concrete actions. Okupe firmly believes that Africa’s journey
of transformation starts with changing how people think. “It is vital for
citizens of all ages and social classes to have the right mindset because they
are the ones who would be actively involved in the day-to-day actions that
bring about sustainable transformation.”
In order to achieve these, the
initiative has in place well-articulated key focus areas toward its agenda.
These areas are: family and society, government and politics, education,
business and economy, media, arts and entertainment, innovation and technology,
religion, culture, and health and wellness. Additionally, it will approach this
systematically through social research, targeted issues campaigns,
action-oriented initiatives, knowledge sharing, events, and public discourse
platforms.
Fielding questions to reporters at the
launch event on what methods Mindshift Advocacy will deploy to achieve its
goal, Joko responded, “It is all a matter of approach and method. Our
initiatives would be determined by research and insight. There is a reason or
rationale behind every mindset. How much have we researched into why we behave
the way we do? Why do we think the way we do? We will make efforts
to dig into the foundation to understand the issues and gain necessary insights
before we develop initiatives. A man whose mind is conditioned to
darkness tends to acclimatise to the situation and live in it. People’s eyes can
only be opened through enlightenment which will serve as an illumination to the
thick, engulfing darkness and ignorance around us. Adequate exposure to
realities will compel them to see and think differently. If we continue at the
current pace, we are definitely on a suicide mission as a nation, though we may
be fully aware of this”.
Earlier in her welcome address Mrs. Debo
Onabowale, a core member of the Mindshift Advocacy for development Initiative
said that “Mindshift Advocacy for Development Initiative is set to do a new
thing in Nigeria by approaching the Nigerian problem from a different
perspective. We believe that Nigerians, both leaders and followers, rich and
poor, young and old need a different orientation to be able to chart a new
direction and behaviour to propel peace and development.”
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