OUR HISTORY

History is within our reach

Rise Networks is Nigeria’s leading social enterprise with a deliberate interest and passion for youth empowerment and education development, facilitated by innovation and technology in Africa. Our strategic focus is on vital human capital development issues and their relationship to economic growth and democratic consolidation.

Our operational framework embodies four inter-related delivery channels which include education and youth development hinged on innovation and technology, capacity building, youth inclusion, job access and thought leadership. We are also involved in product-based research, content creation, project management and consulting responsibilities along the lines of our core areas of expertise.

Rise Networks started with its flagship magazine RISE as the brainchild of an ambitious 300 level Law Student in a miniature room at a school campus dormitory in the north-central city of Jos. After six successful editions of the magazine and the amazing, positively-overwhelming responses from the target audience (youths), the publisher was convinced to do more. She knew that the thousands of magazine copies that managed to soar against several odds was not enough to alter the lifestyle of the youths and empower them in terms of intellectual and professional capacity development. That was when the bright and promising journey of Rise Networks was birthed as we hosted our very first and most successful session of the RISE NATIONAL YOUTH FORUM in 2007. This maiden edition of our youth seminar left participants with indelible memories as they were challenged with the truth, driven with purpose and the willpower, as well as the awareness that youth is never a state of limitation. Since then, the event has enjoyed incredible sponsorship from the private sector, even as it has become the most anticipated and the most talked about youth seminar in Nigeria; the subject of topical interest by the media and individuals with outstanding accomplishments.

Our hearts are gladdened by the reports and testimonies that keep pouring in from young people home and abroad. Till date, about 50, 000 youths from diverse communities have encountered the RISE effect. While this is impressive, our goal remains to alter mindsets and galvanize the energies of youth towards hard work, leadership and the power of synergy.

Deploying resources judiciously, we initiated the RISE BUSINESS ACADEMY in 2008 as a follow up plan for the epoch-making youth gathering, Rise National Youth Forum. We also secured strategic and technical support from Phillips Consulting and Nestle to provide knowledge-based professional training for aspiring executives who desire to make a difference in the Nigerian workplace environment. This was borne out of the conviction that most organizations have tailor-made programmes for Entrepreneurs and we realize that not everyone has the hope to become one as several other people aspire to reach the top of the ladder in a chosen Career Space. Consequently, we made effort to equip this category of people with intellectual skills required to excel as Employees because Entrepreneurs, Corporations and Multinationals need executors in their businesses. Thousands of youth are direct and indirect beneficiaries of the RBA Innitiative and we hope that they will continue to affect their employers in tremendously positive and rewarding ways.

With the our determination to make a difference in the creative industry, the RISE Group in 2009 diversified into Creative Design, Concept Creation and offset Printing using up-to-date machinery and employing the best hands and minds to deliver premium service to SMEs and Large Businesses alike.

Leaning towards Education Support with the intent to further promote the learning culture and improve knowledge acquisition, our organization (by mid 2010) undertook the setting up a modern, state of the art eighteen-seater study Library to service students, young professionals and journalists. Rise Networks also operates a functional E-bookstore at www.risebookstore.org.

The publishing arm of the RISE Networks, RISE Publications Ventures also has to its credit, a world class, multiple endorsed, 120-paged full colour picture and research-based Strategy workbook designed to use the stories of selected leading brands to teach emerging businesses the key points in management principles that will ensure growth and sustenance. The book is titled “Stratetricks” coined out of the two words, Strategies and Tricks.

In 2012, Passnownow.com was created and positioned as one of the most incredibly innovative interventions in Nigeria’s deplorable education sector. The Passnownow venture is a crowd-sourced, media-oriented learning process which employs contemporary solutions and innovatve methods to teach, engage, entertain and empower young people who are growing from teenagehood into early adulthood.

As expressed in our Vision Statement, we believe that even in our small space we truly can be the change we wish to see in the world. And this can only be accomplished when we  continually work towards building an enduring legacy for our generation by encouraging youths to think, learn and work hard to create an environment that abounds with free flowing applicable and laudable ideas.

Rise Networks currently domiciles a chunk of its content on the web and all that we provide are FREE for usage and sharing. Our physical capacity building programmes hold in all the six Geo-Political zones of Nigeria and we participate in progressive dialogues and contribute to decisions aimed at improving livelihoods across Africa.

OUR MISSION, VISION, COMMITMENT AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

OUR MISSION

• To revitalise values by inculcating positive behaviour in the representatives of the future
• To create a springboard for young, unsung, uncelebrated heroes to explore their talents and express their creative voices
• To empower young people in developing business building initiatives that will enable a viable Nigerian economy
• To build a new generation of responsible leaders and worthy role models who will make a difference in the world

OUR VISION

To become the ultimate reference point in Africa and the World as a hub of relevant knowledge resource and a facilitator of opportunities and platforms that improve the lives and livelihoods of Nigeria’s Youths, with an affirming commitment to empower and prepare them to restore the dignity of Nigeria’s Democracy and her steady Economic Growth.

OUR COMMITMENT

RISE will make substantial contributions to society in terms of concrete actions and changes. We represent a new optimistic generation that will work to make history and hope rhyme.

OUR OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

1. Youth and Education Development hinged on Innovation and Technology

2. Capacity Building on Youth Inclusion, Job Access and Thought Leadership

3. Product Based Research, Content Creation, Sharing and Management

4. Project Management and Consulting Responsibilities along the lines of our core areas of expertise

Advisory Board

Mr. Foluso Philips – Executive Chairman: Philips Consulting (Nigeria)

The Managing Director of Phillips Consulting Limited (PCL), graduated as an Industrial Economist from the University of Wales, Cardiff in 1974. He joined the British Gas Corporation as a graduate Trainee Accountant where he qualified as a Cost and Management Accountant in 1976.

In 1977, he joined the Lucas Electrical Company before leaving the UK for Nigeria in 1979 to work with the Pfizer Group. Mr. Phillips later took on a role as Management Consultant at Coopers & Lybrand International, a UK based company in 1985. During his tenure, he undertook and managed financial management, costing, computer systems and organization development assignments in the UK, Northern Ireland, parts of Europe and West African countries. In 1990, he returned to Nigeria after being appointed the General Manager, Finance for the SCOA Group in Nigeria. He held the position for two years before setting up Phillips Consulting Limited. He is a certified Management and Chartered Accountant.

Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr. – Director General: Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and Former Minister of Information; Former Minister of Youth Development (Nigeria)                                                  

Frank Nweke was born on 18 September 1965. He obtained a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Zoology from the Federal University of Technology, Yola . Mr Nweke is an Edward S. Mason fellow and holds two Master’s degrees, in Public Policy and Public Administration from the prestigious Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, respectively.

He became a resident consultant to the Enugu State government on development planning and general public sector reforms in 1999. He was Coordinator of the Enugu State Community Development Programme (2000–2001). In June 2001 he was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Enugu State, a position he held until June 2003.

In June 2003, he was appointed Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties. He became Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs, Special Duties and Youth Development in April, 2004. In July 2005, he was appointed Minister of Information and National Orientation, an office he occupied until May 2007.

Mr. Frank Nweke Jr is the current Director General of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Nigeria’s most influential private sector led economic think tank and advocacy group.

Mrs. Iquo Ukoh – Director: Nestle Nigeria PLC

She had her secondary education at Methodist Girls High School in Lagos and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition/Dietetics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Iquo has attended a lot of training programmes including the Leadership programme at London Business School.

Ukoh’s working career spans University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, National Institute of Medical Research, Lagos and Nestle Nigeria where by dint of hard work and high level of professionalism, she became the first and only female Marketing Manager at an executive management level till date.

Under her management, Iquo helped to build lasting brand relationships with Nigerian women through her innovative programmes like the MAGGI Women Forum (A home management programme targeted at women in semi urban areas).

In the course of her job, Iquo Ukoh has travelled and worked widely in countries in Central/West Africa- Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, Senegal etc ensuring the success of Nestle’s flagship brands MAGGI, MILO etc which today are household names.

Iquo Ukoh,  a well respected Marketer in Nigeria is a fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria(NIMN) and a member of the American Marketing Association. She is also a member of Nutrition society of Nigeria, Dietetics association of Nigeria, African Refugee Foundatio and Advertisers Association of Nigeria where she has served in Official capacities.

As a keen advocate of youth empowerment is also committed to ensuring that the youths realize their dreams, take on effective leadership roles and are well positioned to resolving societal conflicts. In the light of this, under the auspices of Nestle Nigeria, Mrs Iquo Ukoh was personally invited by President Bill Clinton the former president of the United States of America to attend the first Bill Clinton initiative in New York, an initiative aimed at addressing various social global issues.

Iquo Ukoh is currently the Consumer Maximization Manager and first female Director of Nestle Nigeria Plc

 Mr. Ituah ighodalo – Managing Partner: SIAO Financial Advisory Firm (Nigeria)

Ighodalo attended King’s College, Lagos before going to England to study Economics and Accounting in the University of Hull, from which he graduated in 1981.

Mr. Ighodalo trained and qualified as a professional with the firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers in 1986. He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (1994) and the Nigeria Institute of Taxation (2000). He is an Associate, Nigerian Institute of Management (ANIM) (1992) and the American Institute of Management (1993).

In 1987, he started his accounting practice, Ighodalo and Co., which merged with three other firms to form SIAO in 2005. Today, SIAO is a one-stop shop for financial advisory services and business assurance. The company has consulted for various clients at all levels, providing a broad range of services, including strategic planning, financial advisory, project evaluation, and financial systems design and upgrade.

Ms Osayi Oruene – Executive Director: Fate Foundation (Nigeria)

Osayi Alile Oruene is the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, a leading nonprofit entrepreneurial initiative in Nigeria, West Africa, which has successfully provided entrepreneurial education and services for the past nine years to young enterprising Nigerians, and equipped them with skills, tools, networks and financing to create successful businesses.

Osayi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration Pi Alpha Alpha from Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States of America. A seasoned manager with a track record of outstanding performance in community, economic and social development achieved through collaboration with socially responsible businesses and individuals. Prior to joining FATE, she worked at Junior Achievement of Nigeria, where she rose to become the vice-president. Her interest in working with non-profit organisations stems from a personal commitment to the socio-economic development of the country through private sector-led interventions.

Ms. Oruene is a member of several professional organisations including the International Women Society, the American Society of Public Administration, Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ). Her expertise has placed her on the board of several organizations including theNetwork for Executives of Non-Profits in Nigeria, which she founded.

Mrs Nike Ogunlesi – CEO: Ruff and Tumble (Nigeria)

Adenike Ogunlesi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ruff ‘N’ Tumble, an indigenous clothing company in Nigeria that specialises in children’s clothing. She founded the brilliantly-named children’s clothing business in Lagos in 1996. It has become a great success story and exports along the West African coast.

She has built a reputation for being one of the best manufacturers of children’s clothing in Nigeria.Adenike was featured in the Africa Open for Business documentary and was recognized as the Fate Foundation Model Entrepreneur in 2005. She is a mentor to Junior Achievement of Nigeria and the Fate Foundation.

Mr. Tonye Cole – Executive Director: Sahara Energy (Nigeria)

Tonye was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State some 38 years ago. He attended Corona School, Victoria Island and later King’s College, Lagos before proceeding to King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

He is also an alumnus of the University of Lagos and Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil. A merit honours graduate of Architecture, Tonye Cole worked as an architect for frontline Brazilian architectural firm Grupo Quartro SA in Goiania Brazil (’90-92) where he was involved in the design and implementation of the urban planning and city development of Palmas, the capital city of the newly created state of Tocantins. The city of Palmas was designed as a ‘green fields’ project and built up from scratch.

Amongst the projects he worked on in Palmas are the State Ministry of Justice HQ and the City Hall. Upon his return to Nigeria, Tonye Cole was recruited in 1993 as the Director of Operations EMSA S.A., a Brazilian civil engineering company, the 7th largest engineering firm in Brazil that was awarded World Bank-financed water projects for Lagos State Water Corporation. He was responsible for incorporating and setting up the Nigerian office, recruiting the local staff and managing the office. Tonye Cole is currently the Executive Director of Sahara Energy

Mr. Fela Durotoye – Chief Executive Officer: Visible Impact Limited (Nigeria)

He is a Computer Scientist and an Economist who acquired financial and management consulting experience with VENTURES & TRUSTS LIMITED, the sole investment consultants in Nigeria to the European Investment Bank, between 1992 and 1995. As a venture capital and project finance analyst, he was involved in the set up and management of several venture capital projects including Academy Press, Business Forms Limited and Stark Nigeria Limited.

Fela has a Masters degree in Business Administration from “Great Ife”, the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, during which he understudied the Management of Change in Complex Organisations. In 1998, he brought his experience to bear in the area of Business Process Re-engineering for some major Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation projects in PHILLIPS CONSULTING where he excelled to head the Customer Service Group. As Head of the Customer Service Group, Fela designed and facilitated several customer service and personal mastery training programmes and retreats.

In 2001, Mr. Durotoye established V.I.P CONSULTING Limited, (now VISIBLE IMPACT), and soon gained the reputation as the one of the leading experts in the fields of Customer Management and Workforce Activation particularly in the banking sector.

Having honoured over 120 invitations to speak at various meetings and public gatherings, in just 2004 alone and over 350 in 2007, the name Fela Durotoye now rings across Nigeria, the United States of America and the United Kingdom as one of our nation’s most sought after business strategists and motivational speakers.

Today, the prowess of V.I.P CONSULTING (now VISIBLE IMPACT) in the specialized area of workforce activation has earned Fela Durotoye the name “MR. PASSION” in business circles including Guaranty Trust Bank, Standard Trust Bank (now UBA), First Bank, Oceanic Bank, First Inland Bank, Bank PHB, Fidelity Bank, First City Monument Bank, Skye Bank, Diamond Bank and Access Bank, IBTC Stanbic Bank just to mention of few of his clients.

In just 36 years of existence, Fela Durotoye has positively impacted millions of lives and our nation as a whole. At an exclusive event in the United Kingdom in September 2004, Fela Durotoye was “personally nominated for the Nobel prize” by His Excellency, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the Executive Governor of Ogun State.

In recognition of his contributions to the field of Human Resource Consulting, Fela was recently honoured with the “Excellence in Human Resource Consulting Award” by NIPRO, a body of Nigerian Professionals based in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, at their global convention in Miami Florida in December 2004.

Fela was recently appointed the founding President of the Motivational Speakers Network of Nigeria (MSN) and a Director of the Association of Change Empowerment Speakers (ACES) of Nigeria. He is also the Chief Executive of the GEMSTONE Project (www.gemstone2025.org), a movement with an assignment to build Nigeria into the world’s most desirable nation to live in by December 31 2025.

He was recently selected as the new boss of “THE INTERN” a business reality television show.

Mr. Simon Kolawole – Editor: This Day Newspapers (Nigeria)

Simon Kolawole is the Editor of THISDAY, arguably Nigeria’s most influential newspaper. He holds a B.Sc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and an MA in Governance and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK.

In January 2009, he was named among Africa’s Next Generation of Leaders by The Banker, a publication of the Financial Times of London.

Mr. Kachi Onubogu – Director: Promasidor Nigeria PLC

Kachi Onubogu is an experienced marketing and business development manager with cross functional and multinational working experience gained over 18years in the sales, marketing, finance and general management functions.

He has a first degree in Physics from University of Jos, Nigeria and an MBA from University of Pretoria. South Africa.

He is currently the Commercial Director at Promasidor Nigeria PLC.