Work Projects are Complete! - A Special Finale

The IBM Corporate Service Corps is about giving IBMers the opportunity to live in an emerging market for a month and make a contribution while there.  We strive to do meaningful work, provide recommendations, and ultimately have an impact - learning a tremendous amount along the way.  We also build special relationships with the locals that will carry on after the CSC assignment ends.  Monday and Tuesday were the culmination of our work with the New Initiative for Social Development.  A final presentation provided a summary of our efforts to help them develop customized software templates for their accounting and project monitoring & evaluation needs, a strategic plan that will help them realize their aspiration to go to the “next level”, and more.  We also exchanged gifts.  The gifts from Abiodun, Seun, and Paul to Sundar and I were great:  an African drum, a feather “wand” that kings use, a bracelet that signifies us as chiefs, and a very nice hand written note.  Below are a couple of photos from our exchange of gifts.

Today we had our presentation to the Governor of Ekiti State, the deputy governor, the State Executive Council, several other government officials, and the press.  After a tedious two hour wait, five of us presented summaries of our projects to the group.  Attached are photos with the Governor (right) and Country General Manager of IBM Nigeria, and the ensuing press conference.  (Wish I had a photo of the meeting but don't.)

One special feature of our presentation is that we all wore local clothing.  It went over well with everyone from the Governor and his group to the hotel staff and others we encountered during the day.  Here’s my “local look”.

Tomorrow morning we’re off to Lagos, have a Friday morning meeting at the IBM Lagos office, and depart for the U.S. on Friday night!  I plan to summarize the trip in a final blog upon my return.

Nigeria #ibmcsc