The Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI) was established in 2021 as a platform to train and develop the next generation of public sector leaders in Nigeria.
Conceived and founded by the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives and current Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR, LMI took in its first cohort in 2022 and has since produced 168 fellows in 3 cohorts.
Waheed Shotonwa is one of the recent fellows who completed the 3-week intensive training in the 3rd cohort, which ended Saturday, 8th September, 2024.
In this exclusive interview with Muslim News, he shared his experience at the boot camp.
MN: Can we know more about you?
Shotonwa: My name is Waheed Shotonwa and I’m from Ogun State.
I hold a Bachelor of Art degree in Mass Communication from the University of Benin and also an Associate of the prestigious Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
My interests lie in education, development and active youth engagement.
MN: What motivated you to apply for the Legislative Mentorship Initiative, and did the programme meet your expectations?
Shotonwa: Within my little space, I’ve dedicated myself to community development via education and youth engagement, alongside a few colleagues and associates.
The need to widen my scope and understand legislation and the processes involved, as an aspiring public sector leader, was a key factor getting me on the programme.
Without mincing words, LMI did not only meet my expectations, it did beat it.
MN: Can you share highlights or the most impactful moment from your mentorship experience? How did it influence your understanding of the legislative process?
Shotonwa: It was a journey worth more than the 3 weeks. We had 75 sessions with distinguished and world-class facilitators on a wide range of areas; went on learning visits to the State House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), National Assembly Library Trust Fund (NALTF) and other places.
AN EVENING WITH THE FOUNDER
If there's one thing that keeps me wondering about the person of RT Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR @femigbaja. That is his ability to identify and keep talents.
Overtime, I've noticed how vast he is in ensuring the round peg is inserted perfectly into… pic.twitter.com/QlPfjlLCVw
— Abu Zayd wa Ziyaadatil Khayr (@Wayd07) September 14, 2024
We had Mentorship Exchange (MentX) sessions with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (PhD); Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; Former Vice President of Liberia, Dr Jewel Taylor; Hon. Abdulmumin Jubrin; Hon. Kafilat Ogbara; Hon. Akin Alabi; Hon. Terseer Ugbor; House Spokesperson, Hon. Akin Rotimi; the youngest parliamentarian, Hon. Ibrahim Bello Muhammad; Minister of Youth (State), Hon. Ayo Olawande; Hon. Rukayat Shittu; Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Jamie Christoff; Deputy Mission Director of USAID/Nigeria, Mr. Jason Taylor; Acting Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. Aisha Maikudi; and many others.
We equally had case studies sessions, FiTs Speaker series, academic tours, cross-cultural communication and interactions, and numerous other impactful sessions.
How did you know Mr. @dapo_oyewole1, Barr. @chimdineliaku, & Ms. @sholape__ are essential tools for realisation of your dream via @Officiallmi_Ng.
His response to us that night showed we (then FiTs) have to work more on some things, as public sector leaders that we would be🤓😎. pic.twitter.com/bxujK6FGMO
— Abu Zayd wa Ziyaadatil Khayr (@Wayd07) September 14, 2024
To seal it up, the activities were climaxed by an interactive session with the Founder, RT. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR at the State House.
Undoubtedly, the sessions exposed participants to parliamentary diplomacy, inter-governmental relations, international diplomacy and other key areas of governance.
Without mincing words, LMI has the potential to unite us and serve as a tool to achieve a progressive Nigeria we all strive to attain. Through it, youths are equipped with skills and knowledge on how they can contribute to national development. This clearly posits LMI as a tool for nation building and national development.
MN: Were there any particularly valuable skills or knowledge you gained?
Shotonwa: Numerous.
Networking skills, effective communication skills, cross-cultural communication and engagements, mediation, crisis communication and management and numerous other skills.
We are on Punch Newspaper @Punchnewspaper today🥳🥳🥳
Proudly #GbajaFellows 💯💯@bamidelehabeeba @Samuelisiwu2 @Comr_Shettima pic.twitter.com/SZZZ5GmNnz
— Abu Zayd wa Ziyaadatil Khayr (@Wayd07) September 10, 2024
MN: In what ways did the initiative help you build connections or networks within the legislative community? Have these connections led to new opportunities or collaborations?
Shotonwa: Without mincing words, LMI did build and widen our network scope. First, we had to network among ourselves, know ourselves better, what each person does, their area of specialisation, their specific tribe beyond the state of origin. We had instances where we were compelled to network amidst ourselves. We do more during meals, especially dinner, when we are done for the day and more relaxed.
Similarly, we had opportunities to engage facilitators (and legislators alike) after their sessions to learn more, seek clarifications and get to connect with them.
Undoubtedly, these connections have brought about working collaboration between fellows and also facilitators. Fellows, whose area of interest and expertise align, are collaborating to contribute to nation building, and opportunities are created to tap into.
While I am now officially a #GbajaFellows, it is a huge clarion call to nation building (more steps higher than the little we have been doing) and more than just a nomenclature. pic.twitter.com/chIF1uNLzE
— Abu Zayd wa Ziyaadatil Khayr (@Wayd07) September 8, 2024
MN: Looking forward, how do you plan to apply the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained from LMI to your future career and civic engagement?
Shotonwa: As Fellows of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative, we have a mandate. The mandate is to contribute to national development within our capacity and capability.
Knowing full well that a tree cannot make a forest, we are consciously partnering ourselves. This forms an important tenet of LMI – collaboration and not competition. It’s not a personal race to victory but a collective journey towards realising the Nigeria we all desire.
For fellows close to my location, we have come together and are assiduously working on partnering with government agencies and key stakeholders in areas of policy and legislation in the state. This we plan to achieve with all levels and arms of government.
Congratulations to the fellows of the 3rd cohort for successfully making it through the tedious process.
Let's go transform our nation!#leadership #youthEmpowerment #GoodGovernance#legislativementorshipinitiative#gbajafellows2024 #lmi #lmifellows #lmi2024 pic.twitter.com/pqznbPYUpO
— Abu Zayd wa Ziyaadatil Khayr (@Wayd07) September 8, 2024
Similarly, via a policy think-tank we are working on, we would effortlessly try to bridge the gap between the government and the governed, informing them about the policies of the government, how they concern them (the people) and see how we can also positively affect the policies for the betterment of our dear country.
Aside from this, we are open to partnership with NGOs, youth parliaments, youth organisations to realise the Nigeria of our dream.
God bless Nigeria.
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