International Leadership and Business Summit

Business Partners

Students within this program will be partnered with businesses in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Nigeria where the terrorist group Boko Haram originated. Boko Haram continues to perpetuate violence and displacement of citizens in the area. Leadership Initiatives helps regions overcome the obstacles and instability brought about by surrounding terrorism and destruction that may otherwise seem insurmountable. LI trains small business owners within these areas to become strong, knowledgeable businessmen and women.

Students can partner with local security companies entrusted with protecting local citizenry and businesses, secondary education schools designed to create an educated workforce and electrical repair shops that are essential to improving living and economic conditions for the community.

Our young leaders build relationships with these business owners to learn about not just their business, but their culture and lives, fostering positive cross-cultural relations between today’s and tomorrow’s leaders.

Women’s rights and empowerment are and will continue to be an important discourse in developing communities.  Access to education and involvement in economic development give women the opportunity to gain further independence and contribute to the economy outside of the household.

Leadership Initiatives partners with women who own or wish to start their own small businesses by providing them with the information and expertise necessary to successfully run their organizations. By investing in these capable women, LI seeks to further empower them, close gender gaps and provide access to opportunities that help dedicated business owners create thriving businesses that are able to help their communities and beyond.

Food availability in Nigeria is largely based on the area, climate and access to farmable land. While the Southern regions of Nigeria benefit more than their northern counterparts, all areas struggle to maintain access to readily available and diverse food supplies.

Businesses that fall into the food category spend the majority of their time not only trying to better their families, but also the families of fellow community members.

Within this arena, there are businesses that work on the following: the production and sale of pastries, the use of irrigation techniques to help grow fruits and vegetables to be sold at local markets, the raising and selling fish, the ownership and maintenance of a restaurant and the production and distribution of yogurt.

Nearly all food production addresses systemic vitamin deficiencies and issues related to nutrition.

The Orphan Care Independence and Skills Training Program was originally developed in response to requests from LI Business Owners. Once their own businesses were off their ground, some business owners wanted to give back to their communities by helping children who had been orphaned, to give them hope for a better life.

Generally, these are youth previously known by the business owners, and in whom they have taken a special interest.
In order to ensure that all of the orphans taken in were cared for and working towards the mastery of a skill, LI initiated the Orphan Independence and Skills Training Program to establish a set of best practices for its participants.

Leadership Initiatives has established an evolving skills curriculum for youths through which they must progress during the course of their apprenticeships. Further, the staff set apprentice wages that allow for the orphans to earn an income while learning a skill. In this area, students will be creating new educational methods and care-taking standards for the Independence and Skills Training Program.

Technology and innovation are essential in the operation of Leadership Initiatives in order to establish strong connections with those with whom we communicate. LI provides opportunities for our students to learn and engage in technological innovation while providing small business owners with inventive ideas to harness their talents, increase capacity building and further improve their businesses in an increasingly digital economy.

Transportation infrastructure, especially in rural areas depending primarily on agriculture, is often in poor shape with inadequate investment allocated for road construction and repair. While national efforts are underway to research options for safer road transportation, the current conditions result in regular damage to vehicles, and transportation repair is often needed. Leadership Initiatives beneficiaries own transportation businesses specializing in automotive body shop repair, automotive mechanical repair, automotive electrical repair and motorcycle repair. Expansion of these businesses is necessary due to high demand.

In addition, beneficiaries are interested in expanding other high-demand businesses including welding, an indispensable trade that is consequently in high demand, and tailoring. Clothing is always a basic necessity and job creator, making tailoring a valuable vocation in the past, present and future. As communities grow and demand increases for everyday and ceremonial clothing, our beneficiaries’ tailoring and textile businesses are ripe for expansion.