By Funsho Arogundade
There is no gainsaying that Layal Jade Tinubu is helping to scale talents —especially for women and youth. The wife of Seyi Tinubu, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s son, is committed to driving positive change in Nigeria using her platform, The Noella Foundation. For some years now, Layal has consistently focused on tackling and evolving challenges while continuing to make a significant impact on marginalized communities. Of course, there are immediate needs for interventions like food and shelter. Layal’s foundation has been touching that point with vast parts of Nigeria benefiting. But she seems to be of the belief that helping people to be able to help themselves for the foreseeable future is the sort of philanthropy we must look to scale in Nigeria.
Late last year, Layal hosted the inaugural ‘Life After School’ Summit in Lagos where 500 final-year students from top Lagos universities were empowered. The summit, which aimed to bridge the academia-industry gap, featured an array of engaging activities, including interactive workshops on Personal Branding, CV Writing & Review, and Professional Headshots. It drew significant support from prominent figures and industry leaders who shared valuable insights into diverse career opportunities, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the professional landscape. Networking opportunities with peers and professionals were also a key highlight, allowing students to establish meaningful connections.
With attendees praising the groundbreaking summit’s engaging content and the organizers for filling a critical gap between academia and industry, Layal is carving a niche for herself as an advocate of social change, and an enabler of youth empowerment and educational development. It also reaffirmed the Noella Foundation’s commitment to nurturing future leaders, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts in shaping the youth’s future.