www.thesparkng.com <strong>The</strong> <strong>Spark</strong> | Ignite/Connect/Achieve FROM OUR GUEST EDITORS BE THE SPARK e believe each individual is gifted with a skill or talent, and has one burden or one Wsocietal problem that they don’t like seeing. That one burden or discomfort for that individual is a problem that they can tackle. It is not just money that is required to solve a problem. Your time, your knowledge, your resources, your skill can be used towards solving societal problems. Most times, you cannot solve these challenges on your own but you can collaborate to create the change you desire. A social problem is a challenge that disrupts and affects an individual’s well-being in society. <strong>The</strong>re are so many social challenges in Nigeria such as unemployment, healthcare, education, corruption, social injustice, terrorism, etc. Funke Shonekan Executive Director of the Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation. <strong>The</strong> Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation is a non-governmental charitable organization that focuses on its two centres: 1) <strong>The</strong> Centre for Peace & Conflict Resolution (CPCR) and 2) <strong>The</strong> Centre for the Promotion of Industrial Society and Private Enterprise. Tanwa Ashiru founder of Bulwark Intelligence, a security, intelligence and defense solutions company; Head of the Centre for Peace & Conflict Resolution with the Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation. In 2006, I (Funke Shonekan) founded a social enterprise called Young Adult Professionals & Entrepreneurs also known as YAP&E. My passion has always been networking and collaborations. This led me to get the opportunity to be recognised as the Next Generation outreach ambassador for Nigeria and the co-chair Regional Director for NEXUS, which is a global movement that bridges the gap between Social Investors and Philanthropists to social entrepreneurs. Right now, the Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation – Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (COF CPCR) has been actively working on programs that directly impact individuals within the society by shaping their mindsets about peaceful co-existence, conflict and how to best resolve them. One key way we have made impact has been in the area of encouraging more Lagosians to support the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. This is a non-politically aligned program that helps equip Lagos state law enforcement agencies. You will find that as a result of this program, Lagos state is one of the most peaceful and secure states in Nigeria despite its huge population and local challenges. We also teach members of the public about mediation techniques and conflict resolution. We decided to partner with Project Secure toward the upcoming Free Security and Safety seminar for Children in Lagos, in honour of Children’s Day. We will be teaching the kids mediation techniques. It’s important that they learn from an early age that violence is never the way forward. <strong>The</strong>re are peaceful means of solving our differences and agreeing towards a common goal. We have the next 7 months to create sustainable programs for impact. We are going to develop sustainable, innovative and impactful programs towards achieving our Sustainable Development Goals before 2030. With the CPCR, one of the programs we will be implementing in the next few months is a nationwide Mediation Training for Women in IDP Camps. You see, women play a vital role in peace building and conflict resolution in the society. <strong>The</strong>y have the ability to mould the mindset of their children who are the future generation of Nigeria. So if we start showing them the necessary mediation, conflict resolution and peace building skills, they will not only be able to teach their children peaceful ethics, but they will also be able to intervene in conflict issues within their communities, by talking some sense into those who they have influence over and consequentially bring about a more peaceful society. Our society is in need of more people who are willing to give themselves. I (Tanwa Ashiru) understand it’s not always easy. In this part of town, your time is money and you need money to eat. So it’s hard for people to give their time, their money or their food! But I believe we need to start thinking about others for a change. Let’s give our knowledge, time and skills. That’s why we’re excited to work with <strong>The</strong> <strong>Spark</strong> by BusinessDay on this edition of the magazine, with the theme, “Social Entrepreneurship”. This edition is packed with lots of knowledge in unique and exciting content, including access to cash grants worth over a million Naira, insight and clearer understanding of what social entrepreneurship is all about, as well as several guides to help even the early starters find success. <strong>The</strong> goal is to not only celebrate the brands that have chosen to give back to their communities and the nation as a whole, but to give aspiring social entrepreneurs, who carry the burden to provide empowerment solutions, with a roadmap they can follow to help people, build brands and earn a living while at it. @thesparkng 1