My A.D.E.P.T. Values
ACCOUNTABILITY
I pride myself as a person who understands and has imbibed the rudimentary attributes and qualities required of a leader, and it is my intention to be accountable and transparent in my dealings as a representation of the people’s collective will and desire.
DILIGENCE
The power to achieve lies not in declaration, but determination. I believe, as do other leaders, that greatness lies in the willingness of the citizens to relentlessly strive for the growth of their community.
EMPATHY
The story of my life is very reminiscent of the story of practically most of our people in the constituency. Deprivation, hunger and that deep void that is typical of a people left largely to their devices and neglected by those who swore to serve, preserve, uphold and protect the future and collective hope of the majority.
PRUDENCE
As much as there can never be enough resources to solve all the problems, it is critical for any leader intent on achieving true progress to be resourceful and prudent in their management and optimisation of the resources available to them.
technocracy
My training and experience in the civil development space over the past 15 years has afforded me the chance to acquire and hone the skills, capacity and competence necessary for purposeful leadership.
overview
Profile
Renowned Youth Activist, Development Worker, Project Manager and Entrepreneur, Charles Olufemi Folayan was born about four decades ago to the family of Late Oba M A Folayan of Ekan-Meje, in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State. A tireless advocate for meaningful youth-led political participation and social renaissance, spent most of his youth life initiating and spearheading numerous initiatives and projects all centred on addressing the structural and systemic fault lines that keeps young and vibrant people away from the epicentre of significant social change.
PASSION, VISION AND CONVICTIONS
Acutely aware of the pressures that youths today are faced with in their strive to survive and succeed, Charles is dedicated to using his time and resources to advocate for the inclusion of young people in political and socioeconomic spaces.
He is passionate about civic and systemic reforms and youth participation in positive political processes. He is earnestly committed to the advancement of young people and the growth of ideas. He provides smart and innovative youths unfettered access to his network.
Charles envisions a Nigeria where young people apply themselves and their skills, time, energy and resources to nation building, purposeful and responsible leadership.
Learnings, Leanings and Lessons
Education
Charles had his primary education at the Community Primary School Imoji and proceeded to Obaji Comprehensive High School Ekan for his Junior Secondary. He started his Senior Secondary School at C & S College Ilorin and completed it at Fatima Community College Ekan-Meje/Aran-Orin. He obtained both National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in the department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State and holds an Advanced Certificate in Digital Technology at the Prime Concepts Institute, Nigeria.
Career
His professional and social trajectory has seen him interface with key political actors, corporate eggheads and other cerebral social reformers like himself across diverse industries and sectors of Nigeria and beyond. An avid moralist, Charles has used his platform, skills, wealth of experience and expertise to promote the ideals of value-led and purposeful governance and also preached value rearmament as a veritable tool for accomplishing social cohesion and advancement
Conduct
Groomed by disciplinarian parents under the strictest moral conduct, Charles had an early start at a life conscious of the moral responsibility and burden that came with leadership. And so, when he was elected in 2003 as the National Secretary of the Ekan Nla Student Union in his country home, he took what would turn out to be the first of an eventful journey traversing his educational, professional and political engagements and his assumption of many positions of leadership.
His upbringing as a Prince of a revered monarch (Elekan of Ekan -land) notwithstanding, Charles imbibed the values and principles of austerity, humility integrity and resilience. He understood early enough that leadership was service at its highest level to the lowliest of individuals. His firm belief in the inherent good and capacities of the human saw him take on mentorship roles from the onset of his leadership journey.
Participation
YOUTH ACTIVISM
His activism was torched by the fervency of actions and populist ideals which hallmarked most of the positions he held as a Student Union leader, first as the Welfare Director of the Federation of the Oke-Ero Student Union 2004, and then as Vice-President of the National Association of Kwara State Students FPE Chapter 2006.
He joined the Junior Chamber International, an organization of worldwide young leaders and entrepreneurs where he contested and won elections as the PRO of the JCI Fedpoled collegiate council in 2007 which prepared him for the prestigious office of the Chief Judge of the Student Union Government (SUG); a position he keenly contested for and won in 2008. Charles left a legacy as one of the bravest, most vibrant and incorruptible judges ever in the history of the SUG of Fedpoled.
Determined to further entrench the values of civility and diligence in duty, Charles founded the Igbomina/Ekiti Youth Stakeholders Forum in 2011 and Kwara Youth Stakeholders Forum in 2012 committed to addressing youth involvement in social reform and State development. He served diligently as President till 2020.
CIVIC RESPONSILITIES AND VOLUNTEERING
In the course of his two-decade long sojourn into the civil development space, Charles has held several leadership positions, as a Student Union leader, Youth Development Activist, a National Executive of a Professional Body and member of high-powered delegations of young leaders to many National and International Stakeholders fora of social change Afficionados.
He also volunteered for numerous organisations, including but not restricted to the United Nation MDGs Youth Volunteers (UNYV), the West African Youth Conference (WAYC) Commonwealth Youth Organisation (CYO), Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and African Youth International Development Foundation (AFYIDEF) through which he has been involved in high-level engagements with focus on youth reform, value reorientation and meaningful political participation across the three tiers of government, the international development space and the private sector.
IDEALS, IDEAS AND INITIATIVES
Owing to his passion and commitment to social reformation and civil enlightenment, Charles in 2013, founded the Re-Orientation Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (RAN) an NGO committed to furthering moral and ideological rearmament amongst young people and also proffer pragmatic solutions to the challenges that daunt Youth development in Nigeria.
Charles has convened, facilitated and spearheaded a number of ground-breaking initiatives all geared towards accomplishing social reforms, community and youth development. Some of which are;
-Community Development Projects in Bayelsa State which earned him a National Award of National Youth Service Corps in 2011.
-The SIGN 4 PEACE Project which received the endorsement and partnership of the Fed Govt of Nigeria in 2013.
-The National Youth Summit on Peace and Security held in Abuja on November 2013.
-The National Youth Summit on Job Creation and Employment Generation held in Abuja on July, 2014.
-The First National Youth Reform Conference held in Abuja on July, 2015.
– CATCH THEM YOUNG -Public enlightenment programmes in many primary and secondary schools to instil moral values and etiquette in young people in 2016 till date.
-Establishment of the National Youth Development Committee to monitor and review various youth development activities and indices in Nigeria through the Office of the SA to the President on Youth and Students Affairs In 2016.
-The Nationwide School of Politics Leadership Program organized for aspiring young leaders in 2017
-The Kwara Youth Stakeholders Conferences in 2015/2016/2017and 2018 editions.
-The Igbomina/Ekiti Economic Summit 2018, held at Omu-Aran in Kwara State to educate youth and women on local content development, production, packaging and promotion in partnership with Raw Material Research and Development Council.
-The Security and Peace Building Workshop in the Niger Delta region held in Calabar, Cross Rivers State and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2019.
-The Establishment of the Asoju Odo/RAN Vocational and Digital Centers, constructed and equipped by the Re-Orientation Advocacy Foundation in Ekan, Kwara State and Bwari in the Federal Capital Territory. 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Credence and Credentials
Charles has and continues to serve in many leadership capacities, including as:
- Legislative Aide: House of Representatives, National Assembly | Abuja 2011 – 2015.
- Technical Assistant: in the Presidency, Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Affairs between 2016 and 2019.
- Senior Consultant: African Union Economic, Social and CulturalCouncil (AU-ECOSOCC)
- Youth Advisor: Institute of Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa in 2021.
- Head of Strategy and Business Development: Pan African Chamber of Culture, Trade and Inv 2022
- National Coordinator: Digital Tech Campus in partnership with the African School of Diplomacy and International Relations in 2022.
- Executive Director: Reorientation Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, RAN, a non-governmental organization devoted to value rearmament and civility training 2013 till date.
- Development Knowledge Facilitator: National Youth Service Corps (NYSC SDGs) 2011 to 2020
- Founding Member, Pioneer National Publicity Secretary and National Youth Leader: Young Progressives Party (YPP) between 2017to 2018.
- Chairman: Young Progressives Party, (YPP) Kwara State Chapter in 2020 to 2021.
- YPP’s House of Representatives Candidate: Irepodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
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- Training Consultant: Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) 2015 to 2019
- Director of Strategy: Mike Omotosho Foundation, 2015 to 2022
- Director of Strategy: Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim Foundation, 2018 to 2022
- Director of Strategy: Gobir Organization Foundation, 2019 to 2020
- Director of Publicity: Hospitality and Tourism Management Association of Nigeria (HATMAN) 2016 to 2019
- Consultant: National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) 2015 to 2017
- Consultant: Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP) 2016 to 2019
- CEO: Charlesof LTD.
- Convener: School of Politics Programme, a training ground for aspiring leaders to gain insights on political processes, government structures, skills and strategies needed to succeed in politics and governance 2016 till date
- Member: Buhari Support Organization, 2018
· Secretary: Youth Mobilization Committee of the APC Presidential
Campaign Council 2019 Kwara State. - Coordinator: Kwara Alliance for Buhari/Osinbajo, (KABO) an Otoge
Youth Coalition 2018 to 2019
Asoju Ódò
A tireless advocate for meaningful youth-led political participation and social renaissance.