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Nigeria’s Independence, 9 important facts you should know!

September 28, 2024 in Business, motivational, Upskilling

As we commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration in the month of October 2024, we see it as a good opportunity to travel back in time to share notable activities relating to our independence as well as celebrate the bravery of the heroes that made it happen. So enjoy this quick read showing some key facts on Nigeria’s Independence.

9 important facts about Nigeria’s Independence:

  1. Nigeria was formed in 1914.
    The land area known today as Nigeria was formed in 1914 when British colonial authorities merged the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria, to form the amalgamated Protectorate and Colony of Nigeria.
  2.  Nigeria gained independence in 1960.
    Nigeria gained independence from the British empire in 1960, initially adopting a British style of government with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the first Nigerian head of government (prime minister)
  3. The National Anthem: Nigeria, We Hail Thee was first used upon independence in 1960, the lyrics were written by Lillian Jean Williams. It was replaced by “Arise, O Compatriots” in 1978.  “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” has officially been readopted on 29 May 2024. Click here to learn the lyrics.
  4. The Flag of Nigeria: Green White Green flag was officially hoisted on 1 October 1960, it was designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi. The two green stripes represent natural wealth, and the white represents peace and unity.
  5. The Coat of Arms:  Created and adopted in May 1960. The Coat of Arms consists of Black shield and colorful wreath over the shield which stands for fertile soil of Nigeria; White horses mean dignity; Red Eagle is for the strength of the nation; White lines in the “Y” shape stand for two main rivers of Nigeria: Benue and Niger; Yellow Trumpet or Costus Spectabilis is the national flower of Nigeria. The flower is placed on the ground where the shield is standing. It represents the beauty of the country and its nation; “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress” is the Nigerian national motto.
  6. Becoming a Republic: Although Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, the nation retained the British monarch, Elizabeth II, as titular head of state until the adoption of a new constitution in 1963 declaring the nation a republic.
  7. Nigerian Currency: Nigeria introduced its own currency, the Nigerian pound, in 1958, replacing the British West African pound. The Nigerian pound was later replaced by the Naira in 1973.
  8. The Country’s Capital: Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government’s December 1991 decision to move the capital to Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory, though Abuja was created by a decree in 1976.
  9. Heroes that championed the Independence:
  • Herbert Olayinka Macaulay: Often referred to as the “father of Nigerian nationalism,” Herbert Macaulay was a grandson of Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican Bishop of West Africa. He was one of the political leaders who strongly opposed colonial policies in Nigeria. In 1923, he founded Nigeria’s first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), and in 1944, he co-founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) together with Nnamdi Azikiwe.
  •  Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe: He’s a prominent nationalist leader, was one of the driving forces behind Nigeria’s independence attainment in 1960. Azikiwe played a crucial role in inspiring nationalist sentiments through his writings and speeches. He used his chain of newspapers- the first of which was the West African Pilot – to promote nationalism and pro-African agenda. Azikiwe became Nigeria’s first President in 1960, he died in 1996 at 91 in Enugu.
  • Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo: He was a popular nationalist and statement, who contributed significantly to Nigeria’s independence struggle. As a member of the Nigerian Youth Movement, Awolowo represented Nigeria at the fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, a platform dedicated to advancing conversations on the decolonization of Africa. From 1952 to 1959, Awolowo served as the first Premier of the Western Region under Nigeria’s parliamentary system. He was the official Leader of the opposition in the federal parliament to the Balewa government from 1959 to 1963.
  •  Ahmadu Ibrahim Bello: Ahmadu Bello was a prominent leader from Northern Nigeria fondly referred to as the Sardauna of Sokoto. He was the leader of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), a political party that represented the interests of the northern region. After his return from England, he was nominated to represent the province of Sokoto in the regional House of Assembly and subsequently became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria in 1954.
  • Anthony Eromosele Enahoro: Anthony Enahoro was a fearless anti-colonial and nationalist activist cum politician with a distinguished career in the press, politics and civil service. He moved the famous motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1953 at 30, followed it through by being a delegate to most of the constitutional conferences leading to Nigeria’s independence following sustained pressure from other activists and nationalists.
  • Ernest Ikoli: As the first editor of the Daily Times, Ernest Ikoli is remembered in Nigerian history as one of the pacesetters of Nigerian journalism and nationalism struggle. Ikoli co-founded the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) in 1934 to advocate for self-governance and independence from British colonial rule. Ikoli’s NYM promoted the welfare of Nigerians and advocated for self-rule. The political organization played a crucial role in the nationalist movement in Nigeria with its vigorous campaigns for the independence.

Despite challenges, Nigeria’s independence marked a significant turning point in its history, fostering a spirit of resilience and unity that continues to inspire generations.

Building a good Professional ‘Self’ Esteem and Confidence

May 17, 2023 in Business, Inspiring, motivational, Upskilling

Self esteem, which has been identified as a determining factor on employees’ behavior both inside and outside the workplace and affecting performance, satisfaction, commitment, turnover, work motivation, and even civic behavior of workers, has a significant impact on many crucial results of employees (Campbell, 1990; Pierce and Gardner, 2004).

What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is a measure of how much a person values, appreciate or likes himself. In psychology, self esteem is used to describe an individuals overall personal value or self-worth. Because it affects our personal and professional relationships, decision-making, motivation levels, and general wellbeing, self-esteem plays a significant role in our lives

Importance of healthy Professional esteem in the work place

  1. A healthy level of self-esteem enables an employee to trust his/her judgement and also likely make better decision. This in turn helps to create more effective interpersonal and work relationships and hence excellence becomes an attribute of such employee.
  2. Employees with a healthy self-esteem contributes to a positive work culture. They make better colleagues and are more enjoyable to be around. They are not jealous of others’ success, rather, they celebrate and champion their team. They support those around them and everybody is happy to work together for a common goal.
  3. Those with a healthy level of self-esteem make peace with failure. They don’t crumble when things don’t work out. Rather, they recognize that failure happens, learn the lesson they can from it, and think of the next way forward.
  4. As a leader, healthy level of self-esteem enables a person to focus more positively on other people and their development to build a comfortable work environment.

Effects of low self-esteem in the work place

  1. Poor self esteem often leads to a fear of the new and unfamiliar and it can lead to unproductive work behaviors such as defensiveness, being overly compliant or rebellious.
  2. Poor self esteem (lack of confidence) often gets in the way of a good idea and leads to inactivity in the business world.
  3. Low self esteem makes us doubt our abilities and judgement and prevents us from taking calculated risks, setting ambitious goals and also working on it. People who suffer this problem often exhibits subconscious behaviors that undermine their success making them less likely to ask for or get promotions, raises and even jobs.
  4. Low self esteem can hinder employees from sharing their ideas with the teams, causing their companies to miss out on potential innovations.

How to improve professional esteem in your work place.

  1. Practice how you present yourself. People say dress the way you want to be addressed. The way you dress goes a long way to boost your confidence. This is because most people feel their best when they look their best. Your posture and Tone can also show your confidence. Sometimes, we tend to fidget or shrink both physically and with our voice when we are nervous. This behavior shows lack of confidence while further killing your self-esteem. Try to maintain a healthy posture while sitting, and speak up while talking during a meeting.
  2. Cut out negative self-talk or languages. While it may seem innocent and healthy to laugh at yourself, it hurts your confidence. Instead of putting little importance or lessening your intelligence or contributions, present your ideas and actions without questioning your worth. Rather than saying something like, “I know this idea is not good enough but let me just say it”, present yourself how an admired co worker would, without any self-depreciating humor. Take what makes you unsure, and imagine it as an advantage instead of an obstacle. Self-depreciating talks hurt your confidence and can impact how others perceive you. Don’t dwell on your weakness and focus on your strength.
  3. Challenge yourself (leave your comfort zone). A healthy self-esteem is not something that just appears. It is a gradual process. You probably wont walk into work one day and feel all your self-doubt and anxiety disappear. Instead, challenge yourself by setting goals that can help you build your confidence. For example, if you are shy and quiet during meetings, a goal you can set could be to share an idea during the session. Also, building a rapport with the people you work with can also boost your confidence.
  4. Attend professional development trainings. When you develop the skills with trainings, you rely on for your job, you can improve the way you perform your role, and this can have a positive influence in increasing your self-confidence.
  5. Focus on your strength. Focusing on your strength can help you boost your confidence because for you to do that, you need to measure your success and abilities. If you are one to always focus on your weakness, try, making a list of your strengths and abilities and a second list of your achievements. If you choose, you could always make a daily habit of reading them every morning or any time you need a confidence boost.

EXCELLENCE IS A VIRTUE

April 22, 2023 in Business, Co-Working Space, Focus, motivational, Upskilling

All through the historical past, both individuals and communities have treasured excellence. It is a characteristic that implies extraordinary talent, skill, and efficiency in a specific area. Whether it be in sporting events, works of art, academics, or any other type of field, people strive for excellence.

Excellence is not a fixed characteristic that can be attained relatively quickly. Instead, it is a never-ending quest for advancement and development. It is a mode of thought that requires a blend of expertise, sheer determination, self-control, and persistence. It’s not something that can be given to someone; quite often, it has to be achieved via perseverance and commitment.

Pursuing excellence necessitates a considerable amount of effort and diligence. Becoming satisfactory at doing something is not sufficient; one should always make an effort to achieve excellence. It entails going above and beyond one’s limits and constantly striving to make improvements. Pursuing excellence necessitates embracing challenges, risk-taking, and gaining insight through errors.

3 Key components of Excellence:

  • Discipline is an integral part of excellence. To achieve the highest standards in any field, you must be disciplined enough to practice frequently, concentrate, and away from distractions. Discipline is not a human characteristic; it is acquired through deliberate awareness and reinforcement. It necessitates the ability to effectively prioritize and manage time, establish achievable objectives, as well as hold oneself fully responsible.
  • Doggedness would be another essential component of excellence. It’s also not sufficient to have the talent or skills to excel in a specific area. One must also be resilient in the face of adversity, setbacks, and failure. Persistence is the willingness to get back up after being knocked down, to persevere when things get tough, and to never give up on one’s goals and dreams.
  • Setting high standards for oneself is also part of being exceptional. It entails striving for excellence in all aspects of one’s life rather than settling for underachievement or average performance. Lofty ambitions necessitate a dedication to lifelong learning, staying up to date on the latest trends in one’s profession, and actively seeking constructive criticism as well as feedback.

At Emerald Zone, it is a virtue we hold dearly it is one of our Core Values, and it is at the core of the services we render from our Co-working spaces to Recruitment, Sales and Marketing services.

To sum it all up, excellence is a virtue that combines talent, sheer determination, self-control, and perseverance in the face. It necessitates a dedication to constant improvement as well as a capacity to embrace difficulties and conquer barriers. The dedication to the achievement of excellence necessitates high standards, perseverance, and a keen interest in contributing to society. Whether in sporting events, the arts, academics, or any other field, it is an objective that people work hard for, and it’s an intrinsic attribute that people and communities alike value and celebrate.

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