Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
No fewer than fifty members of the National Association of the Blind (NAB) have obtained training on leadership and networking skills in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area Anambra State on Saturday, Ikengaonline reports.
At the one-day workshop, members of the blind in the state were also trained on organisational management, Public Presentation, Social Media, and Networking, amongst others considered relevant for their growth and development in society.
Declaring the one-day exercise open, NAB Anambra State Chairman, Comrade Ernest Okammelu, said the training was organised to expand their leadership skills, mindset, and overall capacity.
He also said it was to equip the members with skills needed to deal with pressure, manage risks, communicate, and expose them to the growing online business opportunities in the now-changing digital world.
According to him, “We are imparting more knowledge in our members for them to know exactly what leadership is all about. Because tomorrow, they might head one organisation or the other.
“We equipped them with information that will help them manage an association anytime they find themselves in one head or the other.”
Speaking at the event, Chairman Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities, (JONAPWD) Anambra State Council, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, encouraged the blind to not let their dreams fade away simply because of their visual challenges.
Comrade Okeke emphasized that there is always an ability in every disability, and urged them not to allow their visual problem to stand as a barrier to achieving their life dreams or hinder them from being what God wants them to be in the society.
“Do not allow your not seeing what is happening physically to deter you from being what God wants you to be in life. Develop the ‘I Can Do It’ spirit in you. If you do that, the sky will be your stepping stone. Always encourage yourself to live above your challenges,” Okeke said.
Okeke, who delivered a lecture on “Leadership and Organisational Management,” also told the blind that for them to be considered good leaders, they must know how to manage finance, deal with pressure, manage risk, and must possess sound knowledge of data management and digital skills.
Meanwhile, the Leadership Training Committee Chairman, Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Igwegbe told the participants to put all that they have heard and learned into practice to better their lives. He also urged them to toe the part of personal development to project themselves better in society.
Speaking shortly after the exercise, one of the participants and student of Guidance and Counselling, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Mbajiogu Nzubechukwu, said she has learned how to be a good leader, especially in the area of managing an organisation. She vowed to apply the lessons learned in her everyday association.
Similarly, Mr. Victor Igwebuike, JONAPWD Onitsha South LGA Coordinator, said he obtained a high level of enlightenment and education from the training, especially in the area of leadership.
He said the training will be beneficial to him, adding that most of the principles he learned will serve as a guide to him in his daily dealings.
The event also witnessed the handover of dozens of Braille and other academic materials to the Association’s Youth Coordinator in the state, Comrade Chibuzo Obierika, for onward distribution to blind students at various institutions of learning in the state.
