Don’t Wait Until You Make It In Life Before You Think Of Helping People- Abdullah Abubakar

Abdullah Alhaji Abubakar, is a peace ambassador, social change agent and Country Director, African Youth Union Commission (AYUC Nigeria). These, among his many other pursuits are what made TMG pick an interest in him. In this interview, he speaks about his passion for his work and more.

TMG》 Who is Abdullah Abubakar?

AAA》Abdullah Alhaji Abubakar is a peace ambassador, social change agent, education/ women and girl-child advocate, community mobilizer, event manager and serial volunteer. I'm the Country Director, African Youth Union Commission (AYUC Nigeria), Secretary, Nupe Excel Development Initiative, Founder, Dakani Development Foundation, Niger State Coordinator, Civil Society Organization Network on Migration and Development, and the Coordinator, Nigerian Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative Forum. I hail from Dakani Village under Kede Community of Mokwa Local Government Area in Niger State and I'm the third of six children born to the family of Alhaji Zubairu Tsadu Dakani.

TMG> How do you juggle the roles as an Advocate of peace, Youths Mobilizer and Volunteer? 

AAA》My chosen path is quite demanding. As an event manager and social-preneuer, I use whatever I earn to carry out projects. In this part of the Country, you hardly find those who want to support with funds mainly due to the fact that investing in humanitarian strides does not have a direct impact on them, so they don’t buy into it. But with shared commitment, dedication and perseverance, I'm pulling through as I sometimes get recommended and engaged in some funded projects by established CSOs/NGOs with international partners/donors. 

TMG> What inspired you to become social advocate and mobilizer?

AAA》I derived my inspiration from my Mum, who would always say to us; “don’t wait until you make it big in life before you think of helping people; you can always help in so many ways, whenever the need arises”. This statement has been my source of inspiration, motivation and strength from day one.

 

TMG> Does your volunteerism cover the whole of Nigeria?

AAA》Absolutely. As I earlier stated, I’m the current Country Director of the African Youth Union Commission, a continental organization with membership of seven African Countries. Through AYUC, I have partnered with sister organizations to carry out projects in Abuja, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Adamawa, Rivers, Bauchi, Yobe, Kaduna, and Nassarawa States. Recently, AYUC stagged an outing in Ghana and I couldn’t register my name due to financial constraints even with the considerations by the headquarters.     

TMG> As an advocate of Peace from the Northern part of Nigeria which is currently facing insecurity, how do you deliver your services and enlightenment to women/children about related issues?

AAA》I have always added my voice on this menace leveraging on both social and mainstream media to sensitize and re-orient our people on some safety measures to be taken to keep safe, while putting the government on their toes to do the needful in arresting the situation. 

TMG> What has your organisation done to help mothers and children in Nigeria?

AAA》We have over the years served as a voice to women and children owing to their vulnerable nature. Among those we have hosted are: 

i. A peaceful walk in the heart of Minna, to orient and speak against rape which has become a menace in the Country. 

ii. Medical and humanitarian outreach to some communities and IDPs targeting women and Children where we gave drugs, food stuffs and wears. 

iii. An annual event tagged ‘Orphans Carnival’ in partnership with other organizations to mark the Children’s Day, this year’s was the 4th edition. 

iv. A health education symposium on HIV awareness and stigmatization with 20 Schools partaking in Abuja between 3rd- 28th October 2022.

v. Radio advocacy on GBV across member States.

vi. Campus entrepreneur outreach to Ibrahim Badamasi University, Lapai, Niger State where we trained majorly female students on some soft skills. 

vii. Frank-talk advocacy to some selected Secondary Schools in Bida with a focus on Female Students, distributed menstrual pads and writing materials. 

viii. Just recently, we trained some women and girls in FCT on hand craft, photography and household utilities. 

ix. With my team, Girl Child advocacy where we distributed writing materials to Children in some selected communities in Mokwa LGA. 

x.  An advocacy walk to mark the World Sickle Cell Day in FCT 

xi. An advocacy outreach on hepatitis and HIV in Minna and Benue respectively and others too many to mention.

TMG> A lot of organisations or people in your field struggle to meet up to the expectations and targets. How has yours survived?

AAA》{Smiles…}This is clear and known to all. One major factor that serves as a set back to most organizations in meeting targets is lack of funding.     

TMG> Education is a major challenge in the north. How can you and other members help to solve issues related to girl-child education and that of Almajeri Schools (Tsangaya schools) to survive?

AAA》The best tool to curtail such problems is by creating more awareness and making provisions for the proper education for the female child and Al-Majiri Education. By ensuring they have access to, if not free education, an education with low tuition fees with high quality impacts.

 

TMG> What is your motivating factor when it comes to you in your profession?

AAA》What motivates me is my passion for people and understanding of human resources' best practices which has contributed to the human capital initiative with relatively positive results.

TMG> Which areas do you need to improve in advocacy and volunteering services?

AAA》The areas are too numerous to mention but I will narrow my concept to the following concepts:

1. The Girl Child Education

2. Human Initiative and 

3. Sustainable Development Goals actualization in most of our localities

 

TMG> What challenges are you facing as a youth Mobilizer?

AAA》The Challenges as a Global Mobilizer of youth are also numerous but some key factors affecting its proper operations are:

1. Favouritism:- A situation where some individuals expect exceptional treatment at the expense of others who they are supposed to share common goals with.

2. Funding:- Basically, just as in every organization or businesses where capital is the backbone of their day to day activities. Also mobilizing the Youths for better results and future. In most cases you need funding to bring some certain tools together for effectiveness and efficiency of the project. 

3. Corruption:- I will say this has become a norm that most youths see as a righteous way of accumulating wealth and other luxuries of life.

Finally on my list is that the world is fast growing into a Digital one and affecting our livelihoods but most Youths lack the technical know-how and skills needed in the digital world of today.

These are the major challenges and obstacles I face in the course of my journey.

 

TMG> What style of management do you think works in becoming successful as an advocate?

AAA》An Advocate basically is also a manager in an organization and in recent years, the best management style that has yielded positive and effective results is the Transactional Management Style which involves using positive rewards such as incentives, bonuses, and stock options to motivate employees to improve their performance.

Nevertheless, in order to ensure a long- term involvement and positive return of the entire Personnel, an Advocate must be conversant with the entire Management Style such as: Authoritarian Management Style, Visionary Management Style, Transactional Management Style, etc..

 

TMG> Tell us how you manage other responsibilities of your businesses? 

AAA》Managing other business responsibilities was actually not easy from the start but over the years it has become well-defined as my selected style of leadership is of the Visionary One who is a big picture thinker. I'm all about the mission of the business- uniting and inspiring other co- workers to think big and encourage them on how to achieve our set goals.

TMG> How do you manage people and stress?

AAA》Managing people is one of my best policies using my understanding of human resource practices.

I set goals and tasks based on priority and I encourage them on how we can achieve these goals by appreciating their efforts and motivating them with incentives and praises on the spot of achievement.

Managing Stress on the other hand for me is very simple. I break my overall goals into tasks where I prioritise them based on importance and take a break to rest when necessary, go for walks and take short naps. 

 

TMG> Tell us about the greatest goal that you’ve ever accomplished professionally? 

AAA》Wow! As a young and promising lad who has set himself on the path Heroes and Heroines walk, I will say with the positivity and consistency what I have achieved professionally is to attain the highest position in African Youth Union Commission- AYUC Nigeria from being the Niger State Coordinator/Focal Person.

 

TMG> What kinds of sacrifices have you had to make to become successful in your career?

AAA》Sacrifice, they say, keeps everything we do stronger and better. The greatest sacrifice anyone can offer is their precious time that no amount of riches can buy or bring back and another is one's comfort. I've had to sacrifice these for the betterment of what I chose as a career and betterment of those that hold the future of today.

TMG> What's unique about your style and what are the plans for the future?

AAA》My style is just mine but as the saying goes, "everything and everyone is unique in their own way"; for that, I will say the Uniqueness of my Style is having empathic understanding to issues and people.

 

TMG> What's your advice to young people who want to be like you and even more? 

AAA》My advice to the Younger generation is to find themselves, have passion for personal development and thrive to be the best version of themselves. Keep keeping their heads up and pay less attention to nay sayers.

TMG> Who are your role models and people who have inspired you?

AAA》Mall. Muhammad Danjuma Abubakar (Founder Mind Ark Initiative), Amb. Jibril Abdullahi Muregi (Former Niger State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria), Barr. Suleiman Salihu Jipan, Comr. Abdulkadir Abdul (SSA Media and Publicity to the Rector Federal Polytechnic Bida), Hon. Alh. Baba Othman (CEO Bazoth Media Services) have over the years inspired me in the advocacy world, these personalities are exceptional in what they do.

 

TMG> How do you socialise and when?

AAA》I socialise in my own way not necessarily how it should be.

Socialising for me means hanging out with friends, Playing and watching Football during my own leisure hours.

Regards

TakeMyGist™®

@takemygist 

takemygist@gmail.com

takemygist-247.blogspot.com 

Telegram》0809 8988 267