Nollywood superstar Funke Akindele aka ‘Jenifa’ has been presented with the award of Fellow of the ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy. The award plaque was presented to her on Sunday June 25, 2023 by Mrs. Taiwo Oladele Hamilton, wife of the President, ShaddaiVille Ministries International, during the 22nd graduation ceremony of the global leadership academy.
Akindele is the actress with the highest number of awards (six of them) at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, and has grossed over a billion naira at the box office with movies like Your Excellency, Omo Ghetto, The Saga and Battle on Buka Street.
Presenting the award to her, Hamilton said: “This is in recognition of your exceptional professional accomplishments, and ShaddaiVille hereby honours you with this award as Fellow of the ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy.”
According to Dr. Precious Iluku, CFO, Kuda Microfinance Bank and Director of Studies, ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy, “We have just graduated another set of well-trained Nigerians and presented them with certificates of Entrepreneurship and Leadership here at the Nigeria Study Centre of our London, United Kingdom registered headquarters.
“We have been raising young African leaders, especially Nigerians for free, using universal principles and training modules these past 15 years, and in the last 6-7 years, we have been hosting 9-week training sessions twice a year. We have done this in Nigeria, Germany, the United States and United Kingdom, and our alumni now live and work, making great strides across four continents, presently.”
Testifying to the impact of the academy, the Executive Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele who is also a Fellow of the ShaddaiVille Leadership Academy as well as Fellow, Nigeria Society of Engineers, while giving his keynote speech at the graduation and award ceremony said: “Nigeria and indeed the whole world now run on values that are totally different from ours when we were growing up.
“Our youths now contend with confusion about people’s sexual orientations plus all manner of addictions, etc. What was wrong for us now seem right, and this is why I want you to join me in applauding the choice that today’s graduands have made; a choice to study to show themselves approved as an emerging generation of leaders that will lead Nigeria aright.
“We must also commend the selfless sacrifices that the Founder and President of ShaddaiVille Ministries continues to make in raising good quality leaders with the right cultural and national values, year on year and free of charge. My brother and friend, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, is an accomplished journalist, author and academic. He could have chosen to pursue wealth. But no; himself and his team have chosen instead to commit to the noble ideals of raising an army of more prosperous and more patriotic Nigerians.”