Part 3: Before C4AIK — INGOsphere9ja: From Training to Transformation

The true value of training is seen in what people do with the knowledge they gain. Over the years, INGOsphere9ja has supported people who had no previous NGO experience, people changing careers, and professionals preparing for important interviews.

Nurudeen: confidence during a service year

One of the earliest testimonies came from Nurudeen, a corps member from Northern Nigeria who attended one of my training sessions in 2017. At the time he was completing his service year, he secured a job at MGIC, an International NGO based in Abuja, on his own.

He was the person who later told me about the organisation, because he wanted to share how the knowledge he gained had helped him. His achievement made me extremely proud—not because I had given him a job, but because he had used what he learned to create his own opportunity.

Amaka: from no NGO experience to leadership

In 2018, another resilient woman, whom I will friendly call Amaka, gave me a testimony that made me very proud. Like Nurudeen, she had no prior NGO experience, yet she competed successfully with experienced NGO staff and secured the opportunity she wanted at an International NGO in Abuja.

Years later, while I was training a team in Amaka’s organisation, another which she joined later, I heard someone proudly describe her ability to build the capacity of a particular team under her responsibility. The person was highlighting Amaka’s leadership skills without knowing that some of those skills had been developed during our training sessions. I simply smiled proudly.

Preparing for Africa CDC interviews

In 2021, I contacted an organisation about participating in a project-management training. When the person I first called was unavailable, I contacted her colleague instead. I did not know that she had just been invited to interview with Africa CDC in Ethiopia and was looking for guidance because she did not want to lose the opportunity.

When she asked whether I did anything beyond project-management training, I explained the different areas in which I provide support. She was excited because she had been praying for someone who could help her prepare.

We conducted a rigorous mock-interview session from Saturday morning until evening, identifying and addressing her gaps. She got the job. Others later came to me through her recommendation. One candidate secured a position with Africa CDC in Ethiopia and was described as an asset during the interview. Another later joined the US CDC.

Career transitions are possible

I also worked with a teacher who wanted to transition into administrative work. Through training and mock-interview preparation, she secured a position at an embassy in Abuja that required French-speaking Nigerians. People in her network wondered how she had moved from primary-school teaching into embassy administration.

Another former embassy worker felt stuck and did not know how to move forward. Today, she is proudly working in a major embassy in Abuja. She has since introduced colleagues who also secured the opportunities they wanted.

What INGOsphere9ja really does

We do not promise jobs, and we do not claim to have connections with the organisations where trainees eventually work. In fact, I often do not follow up after building someone’s capacity. I expect trainees to use what they have learned to pursue their goals independently.

During the job-application phase, we help people see what they may not recognise about themselves—knowledge, skills and competencies worth presenting to a recruiter. We then help fill the gaps with relevant training so they can compete more effectively.

The goal is simple: to help people use the good knowledge, skills and competencies they already have to obtain the meaningful work they want, independently and ethically.

These stories are why INGOsphere9ja continues. What began as a passion has become a platform for transformation, and the impact of that work continues to keep us going.