Sunday, 13 December 2015

Nigeria Success Story that inspires - Fela Durotoye



Hello Everyone,
Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year in advance to you all. This season, I dedicate all my posts to celebrating Nigerian Youths who have in one way or the other touch other peoples’ lives selflessly.

Today, Decency Initiative Inc. is celebrating one of its founder’s mentor; the person of  Mr. Fela Durotoye, CEO, Visible Impact Limited.






I came across Fela during the launch of one of his books “17 SECRETS OF THE HIGH FLYING STUDENTS” and the impact the book made in my life is better experienced than imagined.





Mr. Fela Durotoye is the Chief Executive Officer of Visible Impact Limited. He is a motivational speaker and a consultant. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science & Economics, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

He acquired financial and management consulting experience with Ventures & Trusts Limited, the sole investment consultants in Nigeria to the European Investment Bank, between 1992 and 1995. As a venture capital and project finance analyst, he was involved in the set up and management of several projects including Academy Press, Business Forms Limited and Stark Nigeria Limited.

He moved on from Ventures & Trusts to Phillips Consulting in 1998, where he rose to head the customer service group until 2000 when he returned to acquire an M.Phil in Strategic Management at OAU, Ife.

Fela moved onto the University for his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science & Economics (1986-1991). The entrepreneur, during his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) (1995-1997),  Fela started “The Pool Bar”, which was the number one Hang-Out on the campus.
Interestingly, during this period, he had a 4-day one-on-one encounter with GOD in April 1997. It was during this experience that Fela became born again and life took on a whole new meaning.

Having obtained his MBA and spurred on by his new found relationship with Jesus, Fela moved on from Ventures & Trusts to Phillips Consulting in 1998, where he rose to head the Customer Service Group until 2000 when he returned to acquire an M.Phil. in Strategic Management at, yes you guessed it, OAU, Ife.

Marriage            
He got married to Tara, CEO House of Tara on his 30th birthday and their marriage is blessed with three fantastic sons, Mobolurin, Demilade & Morolaoluwa.

Proffessional Experience
In 1998, he brought his experience to Philips Consulting, a management consulting and training outfit based in Lagos, where he rose in an unprecedented career path and excelled to head the Customer Service Group. 

In this role, Fela designed and facilitated several customer service and personal mastery training programmes and retreats. Based on his unconventional approach to facilitating, Fela became a household name in many organizations, including Diamond bank, Chartered Bank, Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, where he managed streams of Customer Service Management training programmes and retreats on behalf of Phillips Consulting.


The Executive Chairman of Phillips Consulting, Mr. Folusho Phillips, declared that “I saw Fela preach the gospel of Customer Service, according to Saint Fela Durotoye and I watched in amazement as he converted all the souls of his listeners involved”.


In 2005, Fela Durotoye was invited by Mr. Phillips to return to Phillips Consulting to speak to all the staff on the topic, “Becoming a Successful Consultant”.

Today, Fela Durotoye is the Chief Executive Officer of Visible Impact; a social enterprise set up to tackle social and environmental challenges and limitations with the aim to build people into super-achievers and responsible leaders, build corporate organizations into global market leaders and responsible corporate citizens, as well as assist governments in developing blueprints and programs that create a desirable environment for their people to do great things.


He is widely regarded as a nation builder, corporate strategist and unarguably, Nigeria’s most sought after prolific business strategist and corporate activator.

Few Out of Fela’s Numerous Projects
1.    EDEN
Eden is a Christian Lifestyle + Entertainment Ministry set out to facilitate a vibrant Christian lifestyle established by Fela Durotoye on 30th September, 2000 at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife. Presentlys, Eden is fully operational in some other institutions of higher learning in Nigeria which includes University of Ibadan, University of Port-Harcourt, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, University of Benin and the University of Lagos e.t.c.
2.    VISIBLE IMPACT
VISIBLE IMPACT is a social enterprise set up to tackle social and environmental challenges and limitations with the aim to build people into super-achievers and responsible leaders, build corporate organizations into global market leaders and responsible corporate citizens, as well as assist governments in developing blueprints and programs that create a desirable environment for their people to do great things.
A budding business conglomerate, Visible Impact is divided into 5 groups:
  • Consulting
  • Project Management
  • Multimedia
  • Investment Holding
  • Foundation
3.    PROJECT RAISE  
RAISE is an acronym for Revive Academic excellence In Schools & Educational institutions).
In November 2006, Project RAISE was unveiled to the Nigerian media.
Using Fela Durotoye’s book, ‘The 17 Secrets of High Flying Students’ as a tool that delivers to students, principles that make them super achievers, while the entire RAISE plan guarantees an educational system that is believed will make Nigeria the worlds’ centre for academic excellence by December 31, 2025.
The project received the endorsement of the Honourable Minister for Education, now World Bank Vice President, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesilli.
4.    GEMSTONE 2025
GEMSTONE is an acronym for a Generation that is Empowered, Motivated & Stirred To Operate with Natural Excellence.
Background
“2.10PM Tuesday November 23, 2004, VICTORIA GARDEN CITY, LAGOS, NIGERIA. Fela Durotoye experienced a divine visitation. During this encounter, he received a mandate from God:
“Go and build me the people that will build Nigeria into the world’s most desirable nation to live in by December 31, 2025.”
Over time, Fela received a structured model for building a Generation that will be Empowered, Motivated & Stirred To Operate with Natural Excellence (GEMSTONE).
Thus, GEMSTONE is a structured model that can be replicated in any other African country. Upon the implementation of the GEMSTONE model & platform by African nations, Africa is poised to become the world’s most desirable continent to live in.
The Vision:
“By December 31, 2025, Nigeria will be, undoubtedly, the world’s most desirable nation to live in”
The Mission:
“Build the people that will build the nation.
5.    SPEAKER’S CORNER
SPEAKERS’ CORNER is an incredible platform established to empower, motivate, network and mentor upcoming speakers to realise their dreams of becoming the world’s most sought after speakers who will influence their nation positively. This is the platform for aspiring and established motivational/inspirational speakers to network and learn from one another as well as a means of discovering many of the hidden motivational speaking gifts in them.
The facilitators have included Niyi Adesanya (CEO, 5th Gear Consulting), Lanre Kupoluyi (DFID Consultant to the Ministry of Education, Federal Republic of Nigeria), (Richie Dayo Johnson – UK based Internationally Renowned Toastmaster), Prof. Pat Utomi (Director, Lagos Business School), Otunba Gadaffi (CEO, DMT Toilets Ltd.), Mr. Folusho Phillips (Executive Chairman, Phillips Consulting), Tara Fela-Durotoye (CEO, House of Tara), Rev. Sam Adeyemi (Senior Pastor, Daystar) and the host, Fela Durotoye.
These individuals have endorsed SPEAKERS’ CORNER as an incredible platform to mentor, guide and give direction to many Nigerians.
This nation building effort is provided FREE OF CHARGE to the participants.
6.    24/7
24/7 is a reality TV show that will reveal how we all can join hands to build and refurbish schools nationwide.
The program will show how six schools from each of the nation’s geo-political zones are transformed.
Each school will be rebuilt in exactly 7 days with about 1,200 workmen working 24 hours non-stop in shifts; while the students, teachers, administrators and parents go through a mental transformation session called the Future Leader Academy within the same 7 days.
7.    THE FUTURE LEADER PROGRAM
The FUTURE LEADER program is a mentoring project aimed at attaching young people who aspire to be great in any field with someone who is already legitimately doing great things in that field. According to Fela Durotoye, amazing things will happen in our nation if you as an individual will decide to:
1. Make a positive impact on everyone you meet and everywhere you go;
2. Be a solution to problems and never a problem to solutions;
3. Be a role model worthy of emulation;
4. Be the best in all that you do, particularly the things that you are naturally good at;
5. Do the right things at all times, regardless of who is doing the wrong thing;
6. Value time and make the best of it;
7. Care and show that you care through your words and actions;
8. Consciously build a great legacy starting today and every day;
9. Live a life of integrity; and
10. Make your family, your nation and your God proud.
8.    YES!
The YES project is aimed at facilitating Youth Economic Summits nationwide and raising a generation of global-minded entrepreneurs from the shores of our nation
9.     TRUE NIGERIAN PROJECT
The True Nigerian project is aimed at infusing our nation with 10 PATRIOTIC values
1. Make a positive impact on everyone you meet and everywhere you go;
2. Be a solution to problems and never a problem to solutions;
3. Be a role model worthy of emulation;
4. Be the best in all that you do, particularly the things that you are naturally good at;
5. Do the right things at all times, regardless of who is doing the wrong thing;
6. Value time and make the best of it;
7. Care and show that you care through your words and actions;
8. Consciously build a great legacy starting today and every day;
9. Live a life of integrity; and
10. Make your family, your nation and your God proud.
10.  SUPERSPEAKER
The SUPERSPEAKER is a reality TV show aimed at inspiring an entire nation to greatness as we search for Nigeria’s next most talented inspirational speaker.

LESSONS FROM FELA’S TEACHING
Fela’s message to the youth has always said that there is no better place to be than Nigeria and there is no better time to have been born than now. In his own estimation, Nigeria is currently loaded with problems, which are simply opportunities to create value, make wealth and become a celebrity.

 “Anyone, especially believers that can find and provide a viable and excellent solution to any of our problems will make unbelievable wealth legitimately even as they bring glory to God through their good works”. Whatever you do, just do it excellently well and you will be a star in this country.

Fela cites many examples of young people doing awesome things in Nigeria, including his wonderful wife Tara, acclaimed to be Nigerian’s pioneer bridal make-up artist and an award-winning beauty entrepreneur. He passionately speaks of people like Funke Bucknor-Obruthe and Ibidun Ighodalo in events planning, the Okunoren Twins in fashion, TY Bello in photography and Cobhams Asuquo in music. “Young people are doing extraordinary things here in Nigeria and around the world if they can, so can you” says Fela Durotoye.


We at Decency Initiative Inc. believes that the success story of Fela Durotoye will inspire you, do share this post so that others can be inspired as well. Also if your success story can inspire people especially the youths in any positive way, do share with us; people are waiting to hear from you. You can also suggest to us people that we ought to celebrate.

We appreciate you a lot because they will be no audience without you. We urge you to continue to keep a date with us, you will not regret any bit of your time spent here. 




Till we meet here again, we at Decency Initiative Inc. says HAPPY BLESSED WEEK.
CHEERS!

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