"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together". African proverb.
Networking I believe should be aimed towards building relationships with individuals and organizations which share mutual interests and strive towards achieving a common goal. Even as a students union president I was able to achieve what I consider to date as one of my greatest accomplishment with proper networking. We organized health outreach programs in some communities and invited the respective parliament representatives of such communities to flag off these campaigns. This simple act provided me with a network of parliamentarians and politicians. Through this network I was able to push for what was later known as the "BOMSA scholarship" bill for medical students. The scholarship included tuition fees, text book allowances and monthly stipends. It in turn required the students to stay behind and work in rural areas upon completion of their medical training.This reduced the hardships faced by medical students many of whom were from underprivileged backgrounds while ensuring a steady flow of doctors to these rural areas in dire need of medical care.
After attending the "level 3 first aid" training at the republic of Serbia and "combat medicine" training organized by the French armed forces I decided to replicate similar trainings here in Nigeria. Both training programs provided me with the contacts of Nigerians who attended previous trainings. With this I was able to create a network of trained basic life support providers. Together we have provided basic life support training to over 300 individuals drawn from armed forces, civil service and non governmental organizations. We are currently the only organized group in the country with the manpower and resources to conduct these trainings. We are also working towards obtaining accreditation from the medical and dental council of Nigeria.
The digital age has ushered in a new epoch in networking and I have been able to exploit this at every opportunity. Most recently was during the visit of the assistant Secretary General of the UN , Toby Lanzer to the lake chad region.Mr Lanzer was not only impressed by the work I had put in but also with my knowledge of his professional career. Prior to his visit, I had sourced for this information on the internet and decided before hand on the relevant and appropriate topics to bring up. Even the fact that we supported rival football teams did not get in the way of the relationship I have established with him and his staff.
As a chevening scholar, I hope to use these skills I have demonstrated to establish and sustain networks with academicians, humanitarians and policy makers in the UK. While back in Nigeria I hope to use my networking and influencing skills to channel the enthusiasm of fellow young alumni towards advocacy in humanitarian crisis interventions. My network in the military and health sector will prove effective in creating a nexus between these two vital sectors and the chevening alumni community .
Networking I believe should be aimed towards building relationships with individuals and organizations which share mutual interests and strive towards achieving a common goal. Even as a students union president I was able to achieve what I consider to date as one of my greatest accomplishment with proper networking. We organized health outreach programs in some communities and invited the respective parliament representatives of such communities to flag off these campaigns. This simple act provided me with a network of parliamentarians and politicians. Through this network I was able to push for what was later known as the "BOMSA scholarship" bill for medical students. The scholarship included tuition fees, text book allowances and monthly stipends. It in turn required the students to stay behind and work in rural areas upon completion of their medical training.This reduced the hardships faced by medical students many of whom were from underprivileged backgrounds while ensuring a steady flow of doctors to these rural areas in dire need of medical care.
After attending the "level 3 first aid" training at the republic of Serbia and "combat medicine" training organized by the French armed forces I decided to replicate similar trainings here in Nigeria. Both training programs provided me with the contacts of Nigerians who attended previous trainings. With this I was able to create a network of trained basic life support providers. Together we have provided basic life support training to over 300 individuals drawn from armed forces, civil service and non governmental organizations. We are currently the only organized group in the country with the manpower and resources to conduct these trainings. We are also working towards obtaining accreditation from the medical and dental council of Nigeria.
The digital age has ushered in a new epoch in networking and I have been able to exploit this at every opportunity. Most recently was during the visit of the assistant Secretary General of the UN , Toby Lanzer to the lake chad region.Mr Lanzer was not only impressed by the work I had put in but also with my knowledge of his professional career. Prior to his visit, I had sourced for this information on the internet and decided before hand on the relevant and appropriate topics to bring up. Even the fact that we supported rival football teams did not get in the way of the relationship I have established with him and his staff.
As a chevening scholar, I hope to use these skills I have demonstrated to establish and sustain networks with academicians, humanitarians and policy makers in the UK. While back in Nigeria I hope to use my networking and influencing skills to channel the enthusiasm of fellow young alumni towards advocacy in humanitarian crisis interventions. My network in the military and health sector will prove effective in creating a nexus between these two vital sectors and the chevening alumni community .