Mrs. Yinka Ogunde is the Chief Executive Officer of Edumark, a branding/advertising outfit. Elegant, charming, warm and humble. These are the words that define her personality.
Having obtained her first a degree in English Language from the University of Lagos and a Master in Mass Communication from the same institution, Ogunde set out early in life as a broadcast journalist with the famous Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State.
But along the line, she discovered her passion for education. With skills garnered over the years, and a charming character, Ogunde launched herself into the branding of educational institutions, a virgin ground.
It was a new idea. It wasn’t a concept that had been tried before. Here was somebody who didn’t study education and was not trained as a teacher, breaking a new ground in that sector.
And because of her passion and interest, today, she is reckoned with when it comes to issues about education in Nigeria.
According to her, “The passion arises from the fact that if you are truly desirous of doing anything in this country, you can’t wait till when others start. It is good to break a new ground, especially when it comes to education.
“I have refused to think only in terms of gender, because it’s a thing I believe goes beyond gender. Whether you are a man or a woman, there are some principles that are necessary. A business that will succeed will not tell you that it needs to be run by a woman or a man to make it a success. So, whether you are a man or you are a woman, if you don’t follow those principles, then you cannot succeed.”
I have refused to think only in terms of gender, because it’s a thing I believe goes beyond gender. Whether you are a man or a woman, there are some principles that are necessary. A business that will succeed will not tell you that it needs to be run by a woman or a man to make it a success
Besides organising some refresher courses and training programmes for teachers and school proprietors, she’s also an author. In 2007, she launched a year book entitled, “We are The Future of the Nation” for graduating class of secondary school students across the country. In compiling the year book, students were encouraged to write on a topic, baring their minds on what they wanted Nigeria to be.
The core objective of the book was to inspire patriotism and induce an effort in the students to not only analyse the problems in the country, but also proffer their own solutions.
For Ogunde, the book remains a message the students must believe in.
“It is a message you must wear on your neck like a chain. It is a message designed to ensure that you live your lives with the consciousness that upon your shoulders lie the future of Nigeria,” she says.
And testimonies from this programme over the years have shown that it has continued to have a great impact on the students as they proceed in life.
This Amazon also started an education show, which has now become a meeting point for school owners and producers of educational items. The Total School Support Seminar/Exhibition, popularly known as TOSSE, over the years, has created a platform and a hub for education activities in Africa. So far, TOSSE has exposed educators, school owners and teachers to best practices.
This Africa’s biggest education show, which started inside a small room at the Ikej Sheraton Hotels with just about 30 exhibitors and 500 educators, clocks ten this year and now holds featuring over 5,000 key stakeholders in the education sector as well as over 100 organisations developing innovative products and services for the sector.
TOSSE has also recorded visitors from over 22 states of the Federation and other countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
“It has been 10 years of driving change in the education sector, a platform on which educators are open to best practices in the business of education as to what is obtainable anywhere in the world. We envisaged that as technology and innovation become more dominant in the world of education, the need for professionals, parents and key stakeholders to upgrade their skills would certainly become very acute,” Ogunde says.
The certified John Maxwell speaker and coach is married into the popular Hubert Ogunde family from Ososa, Ogun State.
“My husband has been wonderful. He gives me support. He is a lawyer, a very experienced lawyer. So, he has been a tower of support. My children also contribute their quota, too,” she says.
On how she met her husband, Ogunde who has been married for decades says, “I went to a girls only school, Our Lady of Apostles, Yaba, and in those days, occasionally, when we had school events like literary and debating and other events, the boys were allowed to come to the gate and dance in the hall. So, one of those days, we met and, of course, when I got to the University of Lagos, my husband was about leaving the institution then. So, we have known each for almost our entire lives.”
