Kole Shettima, the Director of the MacArthur Foundation in Nigeria, has received praise from stakeholders from a variety of disciplines, including the media, academia, and non-governmental organisations, for his contributions to the advancement of society.
The speakers, who included media entrepreneur Simon Kolawole, television host Kadaria Ahmed, feminist activist, and policy advocate Erelu Bisi Fayemi, and roughly fifteen other people, enumerated Dr. Shettima’s many positive traits and detailed how she used the MacArthur Foundation to influence people and organisations in Nigeria to advance credibility and transparency in governance.
Continuing, the Impact Series with Kole Shettima was organised, in part, to honour anti-corruption investors and to provide a platform for civil society members to discuss, assess, and offer guidance on good governance and the fight against corruption, according to the founder of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF), which organised the event. Fadeyi characterised Dr. Shettima as a change agent who wakes up every morning thinking about how to improve Nigeria.
In addition to praising the Akin Fadeyi Foundation for hosting the impact series in Shattima’s honour while he is still alive, Erelu Fayemi charged everyone present on the platform to start considering how best to honour their loved ones and leaders while they are still alive. She described Shattima as a brother and friend who has done a lot to elevate Nigeria and hold leaders accountable.
According to Fayemi: “Today is special for me because we all gather on this platform to speak about one man who has done a lot to change our country’s narrative. Dr. Shettima is one man who has created a way to make Nigerian leaders accountable despite the challenges associated with such an endeavour. Shettima has made it possible for us to look power in the face and ask questions where necessary. To me, he is a real hero and we must all begin to learn one or two things from him to further impact our various societies.”
While acknowledging Dr. Shettima’s commitment to press freedom and media development, media entrepreneur and publisher of The Cable Online Simon Kolawole quickly cited the many leadership traits that Dr. Shetima has that are essential for any successful leader to possess.
Kolawole had this to say: “Beyond Dr. Shettima’s contribution to society’s growth, especially his commitment to training journalists in the area of investigative reporting and provision of equipment and tools for the media, one more thing I have found very exciting about Dr. Shettima is his simplicity. He has a listening here, he operates an open door policy -no fence around him and he picks calls and replies messages promptly. These are attributes I think all leaders who want to govern well and succeed should emulate.”
Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, a priest who also serves as the executive director of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, praised Dr. Shettima for his service to humanity but expressed personal admiration for Shettima’s accessibility. He said that until he (Shettima) contacted and proposed a possible area of cooperation, he had only ever read or heard of his name. Rev. Fr. Ehusanni claims that the one-of-a-kind call has opened up many opportunities for his foundation and aided it with direct mentoring and behavioural engagement.
Citing Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of Premium Times, who linked Shettima’s current endeavours to the path he had set for himself during his time as an undergraduate.
He said: “As an undergraduate, Kole is committed to the betterment of Nigeria. Kole is thoughtful, and culture blind and his humility is personified despite the power and influence he wields. I must also add that Kole Shettima is one of the few people we should appreciate for the growth and development of investigative journalism and media in general in this modern age.”
Participants on the platform were informed by Professor Radda Sadi Isah of Bayero University, Kano, that Dr. Shettima is a man whose contribution to Bayero University is hard to forget. He also complimented him on all of his intervention efforts that throughout the Buhari administration assisted his organisation in keeping an eye on government operations and curbing corruption.
“It will be difficult, if not impossible to talk about progressive activism in Nigeria without talking about Kunle Shettima. He is one person who is doing a lot without attracting unnecessary publicity. His concern every day is hinged on what can be done to make Nigeria great,” Isah added.
In response to the deluge of tributes paid in his honour, Dr. Shettima acknowledged that the actions of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation amounted to nothing more than a bloodless coup. He thanked the event planners and expressed gratitude to everyone for their kind and humble efforts.
Adding, he acknowledged the influence he has made and thanked his teammates for their contributions, saying he couldn’t have done it alone without their help.
“The kind of people you work with always make the difference. Pay attention to the people you work with. I personally always care a lot about people and the foundation has helped me actualise my dreams,” he had this add.
