It takes one person to make the needed change...
Sometimes, even if you cannot make the big change, keep making noise about the need for change and influence little changes every chance you get.
That is the case of Benjamin Boakye the 44-year old young man we (with Kirk T. Semple) met yesterday in Accra. He is known as 'the Whistleblower Extraordinaire', Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in Ghana.
For many years now, he has single-handedly caused disruptions in the Ghana Energy and Petroleum sector exposing corruption practices and bringing the government to a sense of accountability to the people.
A good friend of mine and yesterday we jump-started a strategic partnership with Lancaster University and ACEP in capacity building and research in the sustainable energy and environment space in Ghana.
Keep making your noise!!!!
#research #sustainable #africa #people #change #energy #environment #environment #petroleum #building #university #DrAkanSpeaks
Once he was usual and now he is the boss!!!
Before now he was just my colleague and friend and Prof of Environmental Microbiology but it’s the first time I am traveling with him as ‘the boss’ - Director of Lancaster Environment Centre, one of the most reputable environmental centres in #europe.
As I fly into Accra today with Prof Kirk T. Semple I look forward to leading a high profile workshop on Lancaster University’s Stimulating Entrepreneurial Thinking in Scientist (SETS) of Differentiate Project under the British Council sponsored and ChangeSchool led Innovation for African University Program.
I asked Kirk, so do you feel different being the boss, and he said ‘I just feel tired’.
Guess what boss!! You are only two months in. Get on with it.
When you are good at what you do, being tired is part of the job 🤣🤣🤣. Just don’t be over-tired…
#innovation #job #project #change #change #school #university #environmental #DrAkanSpeaks #environment
You can only give what you have....please read this true story.
Few years ago I got a call from the most reputable private university in Kenya - Strathmore University to teach on their premiere Masters degree Law (LLM) program in Oil and Gas.
My module was Oil and Gas Licensing and #Local #Content
In my first lesson I told them: at the end of this module, you will all pitch to a panel to give you a local content based #oil and #gas operating license.
I placed them in groups and made them form 'made-up companies and allocate roles like the senior management of an imaginary oil and gas firm'.
They worked in groups all through the course upgrading their license presentations using content from the course as I taught.
I invited a staff of the #Ministry of Petroleum and Mining in Kenya as a member of the judging panel. This is one of the persons who real companies come to make presentations to for licenses in Kenya.
The students had so much fun creating 'made-up business cards, hard-copy company profiles, business services and local content propositions etc.
The presentations were amazing….BUT SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED!
Few days after my module ended, I walked into class unscheduled and met the students having a meeting and you cannot believe what they were talking about!
They were discussing forming 'actual and real companies' with different solution-services they could offer in Kenya within the oil and gas market. It blew my mind away!!
Many years after that module, I am still in touch with many of my students who are doing amazing things with the companies they set up.
There was a practical real-world challenge and application that I created as the driver of the module and it made all the difference.
Also, the design of the module meant they didn't just learn about local content but they developed team building, communication, presentation, analysis and a plethora of #soft skills.
Africa universities arise..... our students and graduates need you!
I would like to do some teaching next year so reach out if you need a visiting professor 😊
Follow me on LinkedIn - https://lnkd.in/dnWQymM
#universities #sustainability #africa #students #drakanspeaks
Learning business just to pass my examinations but clueless afterwards…
Not anymore…
I was a #science student but I did a mandatory business course during my first degree.....yet I didn't know anything about a business plan........
Most African students in Business and Management Departments of Universities would know about business theories but no applications…..
What about #science, #engineering, #medical and #technology students? Most are clueless about #innovation in entrepreneurship ….
Over 12 million Africa youth enter into the work force yearly but only 3 million formal #jobs are created annually......that's a 9 million deficit per year.
So it means Africa will never address its unemployment issues if #entrepreneurship towards creating jobs is not intentional and integral with a focus on science and innovation……in an Industrial Revolution 4.0 era..
It is the reason why we developed toolkits on Stimulating Entrepreneurial Thinking in Scientists and Students (SETSS) in #Africa.
This is a British Council funded and ChangeSchool supported project called Differentiate led by Lancaster University University and project managed by myself Dr. Akanimo Odon
As we come to the end of the project, it is a delight to see hundreds and hundreds of African academics in STEM areas know how to think entrepreneurially and support their students to do the same.
Thanks to Prof Kirk T. Semple for incredible leadership and to our amazing African partners in #Nigeria, #ghana and #kenya (Kenyatta University, University of Benin, Igbinedion University, Okada, African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) )
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#innovation #africa #entrepreneurship #business #technology #work #science #jobs #management #engineering #engineering #students #project #university #universities #medical #leadership #kenya #nigeria #linkedin
