“IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME” Solomon Enilolobo
Olanrewaju Solomon Enilolobo is an entrepreneur, farmer, careers and internationalization expert, mentor, change agent and a young leader who has shown visionary leadership in many organizations and in different capacities. He graduated with MSc Public Health and Health Promotion from London South Bank University after bagging BSc (Hons) Microbiology from Ago-Iwoye. He has worked with international organizations including UNESCO, Commonwealth Council, British Council, Adams&Moore, 100 Black Men of London, NAPAC and has participated at conferences across America, Africa, Asia, Middle East and Europe. He has at different times honoured the invitations from Government of China: Ministry of Commerce, Denmark: Danish National Agency for Universities and Internationalization, Government of Sweden: Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs and the British Council, The World Bank: At their 2017 annual meeting in Washington DC and has participated at different Commonwealth Head of Government Meetings (CHOGM) including the 2018 CHOGM meeting in London.
He is widely travelled and has spoken to young people at different schools and colleges across England including City of London Academy, Harris Academy Bermondsey and West Thames College, among others. He also has a mentoring relationship with numerous college students and disadvantaged young people across London and Africa. He has facilitated and spoken at several seminars and conferences at various universities across England, including School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), University of London, Coventry University, Lancaster University, University of Northampton, Kings College, University of Cambridge and Oxford University and In Harvard University, USA. As the University’s ambassador, he has represented his University at numerous conferences including UCAS and NUS conferences and sits on the course board of the Faculty of Health and Social Care.
Solomon is incurably passionate about Nigeria. He is the project manager with Building Our National Image (BONI) project – a Non-Governmental social enterprise whose core vision is to promote and inspire the spirit of Patriotism and preserve the dignity and nobility of the Nigerian Flag, through a well-coordinated national value re-orientation campaign. He helped resuscitate the Nigerian Student Society at London South Bank University and coordinate its activity for over two years. He was the general secretary of Student Association of Nigerians in Diaspora -a cutting-edge platform that brings together Nigerian students and youths living and studying in different countries across the globe, to maintain and promote the educational, cultural, political and economic interests while mobilizing young Nigerians in the Diaspora who cares about the future of Nigeria to be agents of change. While at Adams&Moore, he was commissioned by the Nigerian High Commissioner in the UK to unearth and compile a list of 1000 highest achieving Nigerians in the UK.
He is currently the Southwest Coordinator of Alliance of Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs (AYNE) an organization which networks young Nigeria entrepreneurs in order to share success, challenges, international opportunities and influence government policies. He is also the Financial Secretary of Abeokuta chamber of commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ABECCIMA). He’s a Nigerian representative of Commonwealth Alliance of Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs-West Africa (CAYE-WA) which operates from Commonwealth Secretariat in London but act like a network of networks and advices government on how to foster youth entrepreneurship. As a farmer, he has been supported by the World Bank and International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD) to cultivate about 33acres of cassava which strong prospect of processing cassava into edible cassava chips- a first in West Africa. He also has the largest maize field in Ogun State wholly owned by an under 35. Solomon has a vision for a healthy Africa. He believes Africa will continue to be in the shadows of other developed continents until she can boast of a healthy population. He believes Africa has all it takes to end all form of diseases both communicable and non-communicable. If African leaders end all forms of conflict and provide visionary leadership, Africa is poised to be the envy of the world.
In order to give back to the society, Solomon has pioneered ‘Project INSPIRE: Exposing Local Students to International Opportunities’ which began in South-West Nigeria. He is happily married to a beautiful woman Temitope Damilare Enilolobo
RM TEAM : Challenges faced while ?
growing up and how you overcame:
The challenges I faced are due to lack of basic infrastructures in the society. We travel miles to fetch water, we defecate in the bush, we trek long distances every morning to go to school, we go to streams to wash our clothes, we study with candles etc. it takes a lot of struggle to focus on education while growing up but I overcame because right from those young age i knew there is no other option to getting educated
RM TEAM: What is your life Philosophy
IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME
RM TEAM: Who is your role model:
Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela
RM TEAM : Involvement in charity/youth empowerment (if any)
I’m Grossly involved in charity. We distribute free exercise books to pupils in public primary schools, we organize entrepreneurial and life skills training for youths etc.
RM TEAM: Word for the young ones:
Be educated, be focused
RM TEAM: Where do you see yourself in the next ten years:
In the next Ten years I see myself providing solutions to challenges facing our generation especially in the area of Hunger, Poverty and Unemployment
RM TEAM: Worst moment/best moment (if any )
Every moment is a blessing because its filled with lessons. I never interpret them as worse or best. I just learn from each moment.
RM TEAM: Passion and Driving force
I’m passionate about fulfilling my God given potentials, it keeps me awake at night and drives me out of bed in the morning, whether it’s in leadership, Agriculture or business
RM TEAM: You can take some time to sale what you do (advert)
This is funny but I’m currently selling myself to the people of Abeokuta. Come 2019, I will be contesting to be a member of Ogun State House of Assembly representing Abeokuta South State Constituency 2 under the platform of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) the youthful party which is to make the difference and deliver the future. I believe it is now time to elect youths who passionate, resilient and determined to work hard and rebuild Nigeria in order to deliver the future. I’m one of the Nigerian youths who have character, competence and capacity to deliver. A New Nigeria is possible.
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