CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (CELD)

….in consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) 

 celd logoORGANISATION PROFILE

Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) is a leading human capacity, gender empowerment and development-based organisation that sees itself as a catalyst and thought leader in developing the theory and practice of leadership, social, educational and economic empowerment particularly in Africa, and also the developing countries of the Middle East, South America and Asia. As an organisation currently in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2012, we strive to advance our partnership with public and private sector organisations at different stages to develop, refine and effectively execute strategies that deliver superior corporate/institutional excellence. We empower the men and women folk for peak performance.

One of the ways we achieve this is through our bespoke and open trainings, specialised gender-based conferences, and other capacity building programmes. We strive to improve the public and private sector players’ ability to meet the challenges of a changing world and communicate effectively with their constituents and stakeholders.

CELD is also affiliated to some of the best training and accreditation institutions in the world, such as Institute of Directors (UK), Chartered Institute of Management Consultants -Canada, and the Association for project management (UK).

We strongly believe in the statement of Professor Richard Whitfield, the founding Chairman of the United Kingdom National Family Trust when he said, “We cannot become individuals unless we have someone who is rationally, irrationally and permanently committed to our welfare and interest. WE ARE NOBODY WITHOUT A COMMITTED SOMEBODY. We are therefore resolved to being that committed “somebody,” in re defining peak performance and gender empowerment.

VISION
To promote productive engagement, peak performance and the advancement of the practice and development of leadership for the benefit of today’s developing societies globally.

MISSION

Our mission is to become a leading global platform for delivering peak performance and gender empowerment.

Our Core Values

  1. Passion:  Strong enthusiasm to impact vulnerable children, youth and the less privileged.
  1. Accountability: Responsibility for the Resources entrusted to us and the generations of young people whom we represent.
  2. Volunteerism: Driving selfless service and the act of volunteerism for the good of the vulnerable.
  3. People Development: Devoted to building excellence both in the people we represent and our personnel. 

AREAS OF FOCUS

  1. Leadership Trainings
  1. Orphans and Vulnerable Child (OVC)

This area of focus is specially designed for the Young ones specifically the orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria. We focus on the following thematic areas:

  1. Education: Providing educational assistance to OVC and public schools in the rural areas through our educational assistance progamme.
  2. Child participation: Making OVC and their families’ part of the solution by seeking their opinions at every stage during planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs.
  • Child protection: Immediate response to circumstances and conditions that create gross violation of the rights of children, subjecting them to serious risks and hazards.
  1. Psychosocial support: Assistance given to OVC and families with OVC to positively and meaningfully affect the psychological and social situation that impacts on their mental function and social behavior in relation to their family and to the society in which they live.
  2. Socio-economic security: Strengthening the ability and capacity of OVC and households with OVC to sustain their livelihood over the medium and long term with or without short term emergency assistance.
  3. Mitigation of the impact of conflict: Working in collaboration with individuals, households and communities, government and private sector actors to secure an environment in which essential social services can reach vulnerable populations affected by conflict.
  • Child growth and development: meeting the physical, cognitive, intellectual and psychological needs of OVC.
  1. Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

This area of focus is specially designed for women and the girl child with the following thematic areas:

  1. Gender and Poverty Sustainable Livelihood: Adopting development strategies that address the needs and efforts of women in poverty and ensuring women’s equal rights and access to economic resource by providing them with access to savings and credit mechanisms and institutions.
  2. Gender and Human Rights: Promoting and achieving legal literacy among women, thereby contributing towards increasing their capabilities by giving them property and inheritance rights, better access to credit and other productive resources, and increased political participation and representation.
  • Gender and Environment: Integrating gender concerns and perspectives in programmes for sustainable development.
  1. Gender and Governance: Empowering women through increased access to information, economic activities, education and legal rights; thereby strengthening their capacity to participate in decision‐making and leadership.
  2. Gender and Peace Building and Conflict Resolution: Promoting women’s contribution to fostering a culture of peace and protecting women living in situations of armed and other conflicts.
  3. Gender and Information Technology: Strengthening the capacity of women to overcome barriers restraining their access to and use of the new technologies.
  • Empowerment of the Girl child: Ensuring the education and empowerment of the Girl Child through our Girls Educational Initiative.

Specific programs and schemes run by CELD, under these focus areas are as follows:

Flagship programs include:

  • Management and Organizational Leadership Trainings: These training programs are aimed at business professionals, organizational leaders and managers alike so they can optimally maintain their company’s value proposition, increase market share and remain competitive. Our programs cover everything from business models to decision making techniques to corporate value creation. We also organize bespoke practical training sessions tailor made to the needs of teams, and organizations.
  • The Women Leadership Development Training Program: This program is targeted at high-potential women seeking new levels of success as team leaders, political and community leaders, corporate managers and organizational visionaries.
  • The Annual South America – Africa – Middle East – Asia Women Summit (SAMEAWS): This is an annual unprecedented summit, aimed at bringing together, the most influential and prominent women as well as key stakeholders from the South America, Africa, Middle East and Asian regions to re-emphasize and vividly demonstrate the critical role of women to the future of these economies; thereby effectively utilizing the world’s greatest untapped resource – its women.
  • Send A Child to School Today Campaign

MISSION: To contribute to the overall development of vulnerable children and youth through education, enhanced capacity building programs, poverty eradication projects, international cultural exchanges and Youth Leadership development programs.

Other Programs on our stable, include

  • National Conference on Education: This is an annual National conference and platform for providing educational assistance to OVC and public schools in the rural areas by issuing scholarship cheques and educational materials/ infrastructure through our educational assistance program.
  • Parliamentary Trainings: These trainings are designed to build the capacity of both members and staff of Parliaments as well as serve as a resource centre for individuals or organisations, who may require to have the knowledge of the workings and processes of parliaments and other legislative bodies.
  • Online Training: We organize both paid and free online training programs that are targeted at empowering the individual with the skills needed to become an engaging manager that creates confident, inspired, empowered, and enthusiastic teams. Today’s successful leaders are willing to adapt and improve team performance by sharpening their own leadership team development skills in a self-paced on-going manner.
  • Bespoke Trainings, tailored to suit specific organisation’s or sector needs.
  • All African Women Leaders’ Summit This is an annual high-level meeting of African Women Leaders aimed at building their capacity to effectively perform their specific roles as women in leadership, at all levels, and to encouraging the ascent of African women to leadership roles in Government and the Society.
  • National Women Empowerment Conference (NWEC): National Women Empowerment Conference is an annual National training seminar intended to raise the proportion of female professionals, upcoming women leaders and grassroots women; in various careers by empowering them with diverse strategic tools to enable them get to the peak of their career.
  • International Conference on African Women Development (ICOAWD): The International Conference on African Women Development is an annual International conference aimed at strengthening the capacity of African Women Leaders by creating the platform for African women leaders to have a comprehensive review of successes, best practices, lessons learned, obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities that exist for women in diverse fields in Africa. This is to ensure replicating and up-scaling of good practices in a bid to fulfilling the vision of the African Women’s Decade.
  • Partnership for African Women Entrepreneurship Development (PAWED)

This initiative is aimed at seeking and consolidating diverse partnerships to bring real time opportunities for women entrepreneurs and women in the grassroots in Africa.

We draw our strength from the unreserved access and collaboration with the top 1% of women leaders across various sectors in Africa.

Contact us; if you have an exceptional program or an initiative that you need to take to Africa Women Entrepreneurs.

  • Global Forum on African Women in Leadership: This is an annual gathering of the Top-notch female leaders of Africa, Leading Women and Organisation in the diaspora, to be held in the margins of the United Nations General assembly; aimed at bringing these key leaders under one umbrella to discuss, share experiences and come up with resolutions on the issues that are constantly hindering African Women from access to leadership positions.

The torch that will be lit in this global event, will put African Women in Leadership at a centre stage; creating a spiralling effect on all Women representatives of all government in Africa and propelling them to go back to various nations to ensure that women and girls have a strong voice and role in the leadership and development of the African Continent.

OUR HISTORY:

CELD, formally known as BLDC started January 2004, but was formerly registered in January 2008. Since its corporate existence, CELD has been living up to its vision and mission through the following landmark programmes:

  • 4 phases of Skills Acquisition Trainings in different vocations in the year 2008, which led to the graduation of over 800 vulnerable persons (widows, unemployed, physically challenged, rehabilitated ex-convicts etc) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
  • Startup kits were given to outstanding graduands through our Trainee Support Scheme (sponsored by our Angels Network and well-meaning Nigerians).
  • Hosted a TV and Radio Talk show “Echoes of the outstanding on NTA and Radio Rivers, Port Harcourt respectively in the year 2008, as a channel of educating and empowering ordinary people for societal impact and Leadership. We had a wide reach of viewers/ listeners and testimonies of the effect of these programs on the ordinary person (the child/youth and vulnerable persons) were abounding through text messages and e-mails.
  • In the year 2009, we organized Leadership Summits, in conjunction with African Leadership Magazine, addressing topical leadership issues and celebrating uncommon leadership virtues through African Leadership Awards in various cities of the world- Abuja, Ghana, Kenya, and Paris etc.
  • In the year 2010, we organized a National Conference on the Convention on the Rights of the Child aimed at bringing to the fore issues affecting the well-being of the Nigerian Child, The conference, with the theme :Preserving the future of the Nigerian Child, afforded participants and stakeholders, the opportunity to have a comprehensive review of [successes, best practices, lessons learned, obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities of various child rights projects in order to further the quality of their work of protecting the rights of the child. At the end of the conference, a communiqué stating concrete strategies for action in the implementation of the provisions of the child rights act, was published and sent to stakeholders in the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • An Economic Empowerment Summit/Skills Acquisition Training was organized in Abuja. About a hundred (100) vulnerable youths (physically challenged, unemployed, undergraduates, e.t.c, drawn from the outskirts of Abuja, benefitted from this programme.
  • Leadership Development and capacity building talks were undertaken in GSS Dutse Alhaji Secondary School, Abuja.
  • In October 2011, CELD held the “West African Women in Leadership Summit” in Accra , Ghana. The summit with the theme” The role of women leaders in reducing the burden of orphans and vulnerable children in Africa” saw key stakeholders in Africa in attendance.
  • In the year 2012, A National Conference on Education with the theme-: Quality Education of the Child/Youth as a tool for National Development: Assessing Nigeria’s MDG’s performance in Education was organized with the key aim of bringing to the fore, the challenges facing education in Nigeria as we approach the MDG deadline of 2015.
  • The unveiling of CELD’s Educational Assistance Programme, which featured the issuance of Scholarship cheques to the Eight (8) vulnerable children (orphans, physically challenged), drawn from different secondary schools in the outskirts of Abuja.
  • Flag-off/Inauguration of the Future leaders Club – aimed at building the leadership and life skill capacities of the students as well as instilling core values in the students in the formative years of their lives- in selected Secondary Schools in the FCT.
  • During the conference, a series of discussion papers were presented by key national stakeholders, highlighting issues affecting the Nigerian educational system, the progress made, and the way forward, which was also published and sent to stakeholders in Nigeria.
  • In March 2012, CELD held its first International Conference on African Women Development which held at the magnificent Burj Al Arab Dubai. The summit with the theme” Women as Catalyst for Economic Development in Africa”’ provided the platform for African Women Leaders to have a comprehensive review of successes, best practices , lessons learned obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities that exist for women in diverse fields in Africa.
  • In July 2012, CELD in collaboration with the Federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organized a workshop on “The Role of Women in Promoting Gender Issues in Agribusiness, which held in Accra, Ghana. 
  • The 1st Global Forum on African Women in Leadership held at the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel, New York City, USA, to create the platform for African women leaders to connect with notable international development partners and funding organisations and other distinguished global leaders on gender issues.
  • In November 2012, CELD organized its maiden edition of the “All Africa Women Leaders Summit which held in Nairobi, Kenya. The summit which had as its theme “The role of Women Leaders in reducing the vulnerability of the female adolescent and heads of households in Africa. The forum brought together an array of African Women Leaders to address the diverse but related issues concerning the vulnerability of the girl –child, female heads of households, and strengthen the capacity of women to support, protect and care for the female adolescent OVC.
  • In March 2013, CELD held its 2nd International Conference on African Women Development which held in Paris, France. The conference with the theme “Women and SMEs Development in Africa: Key to Developing Africa’s Growth Potentials’’ has as part of its objectives to analyze and improve the role of SMEs across African economies as well as the role of women in developing this sector.
  • In July, 2013; CELD held her 1st Women Leadership Development Training Workshop. The Training workshop which held at the 8th Wonder of the World, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai UAE; had in attendance- Women in Civil Service, Female Business owners and entrepreneurs, Wives of Elected & Appointed Government Officials, Female Executives in the Private Sector and Leaders of Women Associations and Civil Society Organizations.
  • In December, 2013; CELD successfully organized the first ever Africa-Middle East-Asia Women Summit & Exhibition at the 8th Wonder of the World, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai UAE with the theme- Emerging Economies: Women as the next frontier. This unprecedented event saw over 500 delegates from 32 countries converging for 3 days of enlightenment, networking, business sessions, panel discussions, experience-sharing and peer-support on a scale the delegates confessed they had never witnessed before.
  • This was followed by the second edition, which held from 20-22 November, 2015 at the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort; and once more women from emerging economies and all works of life, gathered with an almost tangible excitement, in a bid to be part of this unprecedented movement that recorded a huge success with its maiden edition. The theme for this edition was- Emerging Economies: Closing the Credit Gap and Investing in Women for Sustainable growth

BOARD OF ADVISORS: the members of the Board of Advisors are as follows

  1.  Prof. (Amb.) Ade Adefuye –          Chairman
  2.  Amb. Godknows Igali-                  Member
  3.  Barr. Mrs. Gloria Ezezika- Member
  4.  Mr. Ken Giami-                     Member

The members of the management team are:

  1. Furo Ken – Giami- Executive Director
  2. Nyam Alhamdu Sheba- Finance Director
  3. Kembet Bolton- Programs Manager
  4. Chrys Anyanwu- Manager, Learning & Development
  5. Emem Ekpema- Programs Coordinator
  6. Stanley Emeruem – Programs Coordinator

Other Organs of CELD

CELD, based on the principle of subsidiarity, has been working with two other units to ensure effective implementation of its programs. These units are the Volunteers Unit and the Angels Network

  • The Volunteers Unit: this refers to the group of men and women who volunteer as mentors, visitors, coach, trainers and speakers, interpreters to our children and youths in various programs. These volunteers offer their time and expertise in coaching and following up on our target children. The volunteers unit is coordinated by the Programs Manager of CELD
  • Angels Network (a body of Patrons): This refers to the group of individuals who make monthly and regular financial contributions for effective implementation of our programs. Indeed they are Angels to both us and the little children whose future they are impacting.

Partnership and Collaboration

CELD is already in strategic partnership with

  • African Leadership Magazine (ALM)- a good governance campaign collaboration
  • National Organisation of Black Elected Legislative Women, USA (N.O.B.E.L. Women)
  • National Directorate for Employment (NDE)- a skills acquisition training collaboration
  • Nigerian Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
  • Nigerian Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources
  • Education Resource Centre (ERC), Abuja – a scholarship/Future Leaders Club collaboration in secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory
  • CEOs Club Network Worldwide.

We bring to these relationships:

  • Our established links with poor communities, national and international social movements
  • Our reputation for integrity and results- a reputation that comes from the vulnerable people that we work with
  • The tools and resources we have developed to support vulnerable children/youth and women to realise their basic right.

We believe that no single entity can wholly achieve the feat of empowering the child/youth and women. If we pool our resources together, and work together, we can build more outstanding future leaders, better the futures of more vulnerable children/youths, women and ultimately secure the future.

Thus we seek to secure collaboration with other organisations that share same goals with us so as to help us sustain these projects, thereby giving meaning to the lives of our vulnerable young ones and women.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address:

13b Mambilla Street

Aso drive, Abuja,

Nigeria.

Email: celdng@gmail.com; info@celd.org.uk

Website: www.celdng.org

Telephone:  +234 80 39095696; +234 8033784903