Adejuwon Jude Feranmi Kolawole - known as JFK - has released his book, Lead the People. Jude is one of the Project Pakati Change Makers working on Youth inclusion in Africa. He is the Founder of the Raising New Voices Initiative and was formerly Executive Director of ToBuildANation, a citizen’s movement working towards political reforms in Nigeria with members in more than 25 states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He says that the book is meant to inspire and provide "clear-cut direction for any young leader who wants to see change happen in any community and in any country in the world." Lead the People was written to share strategies and tactics on how to become the leader that our world needs, with the capacity to influence change towards a positive direction.
The author believes that the most popular leaders and community organisers in the world have risen to prominence while influencing the change they want to see. He notes that this impact is not out of reach of others, too. Jude says that the modern world present challenges that need more leaders - global issues like climate change, hyperconsumerism, and a potential apolyptic outcomes if Artificial Intelligence is not managed for peaceful outdomes.
Jude says that these challenges of the modern world - like the pandemic for example - require new ways and new approaches. Young leaders are the ones expected to bring forward these approaches, as global citizens.
"Our world needs the ideas and the creativity that young people can bring to make positive impact. But only the young leaders who are able to influence and organize the people towards their ideas will be able to make this impact. Africa and indeed, the world, needs more passionate young citizens who are effective and making change happen, holding government accountable, winning elections and changing society."
He draws on experience gained from several advocacy projects, like the peaceful elections in the Niger Delta, the march for the Bring Back Our Girls movement, and even climate change advocacy in the Netherlands. He was the National Youth Leader of the KOWA Party and the Convener of Raising New Voices initiative.
His desire for change has been inspired by other young people who have been the change they want to see in the world. He said that change will come to our country or our community when we have civic-conscious, socially-responsible and politically-aware leaders calling for change from every direction.
He is a cofounder of Founding Networks, which is is helping to build a community of African startup founders and he serves on the advisory board of startups both in Nigeria and Europe. He is a double Masters degree holder in Public Policy and Human Development from the United Nations University in the Netherlands. Two years ago, Jude co-authored a book with Remi Sonaiya titled Everything About Nigeria and the change that needs to happen". The book describes ways to identify the obstacles that are in the way of the country's full development.
Lead the People is available from Amazon on Kindle and in paperback.
Report