2024 GODDY JIDENMA FOUNDATION LECTURE.

Welcome Address By Dr Ije Jidenma, Founder Of Goddy Jidenma Foundation

It is with great excitement that I welcome you all today. With utmost humility, I am awed by your continued tremendous response to our invitation to these biennial fests.

We are quite delighted to have our Distinguished Guest Lecturer fly in from Egypt, the world’s cradle of civilization. I am also pleased to say that there is a meeting of minds. There is a perfect congruence between Prof Oramah’s Pan African vision and Goddy Jidenma Foundation’s quest to be part of the National Think Tank and solution to our developmental challenges. Even though the developmental turf is tough, as a seasoned public intellectual and one with a great sense of history. Prof Oramah is one person that is not ready to give up hope about Africa’s renaissance. Thus he wrote his seminal book “The path to making Africa great again” in 2017.

We are privileged to have another highly distinguished Nigerian who has a great track record of achievements in our country. In 1990 together with Mr. Tayo Aderinoku, he established Guaranty Trust Bank where he served as a Managing Director and Chief Executive for over a decade. The Group now has footprints in Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and the United Kingdom. As the Chairman of the National Pension Commission, he midwifed the sustainable pension scheme that Nigeria is enjoying today. We are highly delighted to welcome Mr Fola Adeola, the Chairman of this occasion.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, we are indeed privileged to have these two great personalities who have demonstrated that with focus and great determination, our country and continent will emerge from the ashes of ruin like

..the phoenix.

Goddy Jidenma Foundation was founded in 2007 in memory of Arc Goddy Jidenma . He always tried to fill any identified void in the society during his lifetime, by rendering of selfless service to individuals, groups and the nation at large. He derived joy in contributing his God given talents, time and treasures to human progress and happiness, without counting the cost. He served as a student leader, served his state as a Commissioner and served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the beautification of Blessed Rev Father Cyprian Iwene Tansi by Pope John Paul II in Anambra State when he visited Nigeria in 1998. He served as if his life depended on service. As a result, he received great accolades from the Catholic Church. When he died suddenly in 2006 at the age of 51 years, the testimonies by the various people he touched their lives, was overwhelming. This led to the establishment of the Foundation to continue with his ideals and passions.

Today, we pay tribute to the memory of the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Goddy Jidenma Foundation, Prof Ben Nwabueze, SAN, NNOM, CON, who led the Foundation with great fervour and commitment at its nascent stage. By divine providence, Prof Nwabueze’s funeral commences today with a valedictory session graciously hosted by the Lagos State Government. We thank them for bestowing this honour to him. In 2009, Prof Nwabueze gave the ground breaking Lecture on “ Strengthening the Foundations and Institutions of Democracy in Africa” We are greatly indebted to his genius. Please permit me to also use this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Dr Bola Kuforiji- Olubi, OON, the indomitable second Chairman of the Foundation and Chief MT Mbu, CFR, another Trustee who has also passed on.

The programme areas of the Foundation include

Education, Leadership, Mentorship, Public Speaking and Philanthropy. We have instituted prizes in Excellence & Public speaking in secondary schools across the country. These include the Loyola Jesuit College Abuja, Birch Freeman College, Lagos, the Pacelli School for the Blind, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School, Abagana , Anambra State and Ezeike High School, Nibo, Anambra State. We consider these initiatives strategic in shaping the vision of our young ones and in channeling of their energies to healthy competition and the development of lifelong skills.

We have also consistently worked with other NGOs such as ‘the Helping Hands Ministry ‘ to support widows and vulnerable members of the society through donations of basic things of life such as food and clothing .However, we are yet to scratch the surface in other areas of intervention such as Shelter and Environment. which were very dear to Arc Goddy Jidenma. A good example is when he volunteered and led the clearing of garbage dumps at the Onitsha Niger bridge gateway, under the aegis of League of Anambra Professionals, LAP.

Most of our programmes have been funded through the personal contributions of our Trustees. In some cases, they adopted specific programmes and funded them. We thank them for their generosity and consistency. We are also indebted to individuals and corporate bodies which have supported us. We would not have survived without your benevolence. We are grateful to PKF Professional Services, for their pro-bono

services to the Foundation. We are not unmindful of our need for transformation and well thought out succession planning. Plans are underway for a fully functional Executive Council that would see that the work of the Foundation is delivered in a more robust, well-funded, impactful and sustainable manner. We need development partners to achieve this. To many who have approached us to serve as Volunteers, we thank you sincerely. The framework for engagement will be well articulated and firmed up soon..

May I on behalf of the Board of Trustees, express our immense appreciation to the numerous organisations that have supported today’s event. I wish to thank the Publisher and staff of Business Day, our Media Partner, which have been relentless in the support of our objectives over the years. The Centre for Values in Leadership, CVL, the staff of Leading Edge Consulting, whose devotion to the project is unparalleled. We thank Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Group, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Sanlam Life Insurance, Sterling Bank and the NGX Group, for supporting us through their advert placements.

I thank you all for your rapt attention. Please, participate and engage actively by asking questions during the Q & A session. Relax and enjoy the lecture.

Thank you