Essay one

My long term professional goal is to set up a commercial fisheries and aquaculture centre where young
people in the community can be imparted with entrepreneurial and fish farming skills after which they
would be empowered with starter packs for self-employment. This goal when attained, will be pivotal in
reducing the number of unemployed youths roaming Nigerian Streets in search of paid jobs, enhance
skills for the unskilled, contribute to the development of local economy, and promote food security. My
short-term professional goal, being a farm Manager is to adopt innovations and technologies that will
enable us to reduce cost of running the farm (efficiency); and to improve productivity by
leveraging on human capacity development. A TechWomen mentorship will help me to achieve these
professional goals through collaboration, exposure to international best practices, guidance and
professional development.

Essay two

Being a farm manager, I have demonstrated leadership by always guiding my team members
with confidence and being a leader by example. I spend time communicating and listening
closely to them. I moreso, research to find ways to improve my skills and expand my experience
on the job. I take responsibility for both successful outcomes and mistakes in the farm. I perform
my duties proactively and positively, and motivate my team to do the same. I strive to identify
strengths, and embrace diversity to avoid limiting my growth. I engage in networking and it has
helped me to find opportunities for advancement and develop into who I am today.
Accomplishments that I am proud of include the voluntary training of over 100 members of the
Community/Eagle Assembly Church Asaba, on fish spawning and pond management, after which, the
Senior Pastor, Pastor Uwem Offiong, empowered the participants with starter packs. Mentoring of young
farmers and students that come to the farm for excursion programmes are my delights. Other
achievements include the growth of our customer-base from few locals to hundreds of individuals and
organizations including multinationals; the growth of the farm to a multimillion Naira Business venture;
expanded the farm from a mere fish farm to an integrated aqua-agro hub including fish farms, extruded
feed production line, crop production, extension services, fish processing and marketing services etc.

Essay three

I will get my team/colleagues together and share my experiences and the knowledge I acquired from the
TechWomen programme with them. Then, I will strive to create a knowledge-sharing culture among us
so that implementing the new ideas and skills to improve our operations will be easy. This will be
followed by enabling mentoring relationships between me and my team. On a larger scale, I will also
engage the TechWomen network in the knowledge sharing endeavours, and collaborate with a Non
Governmental Organization (NGO) that specializes in mentoring youths, especially young girls, and
volunteer as a mentor to youths in the area of aquaculture, and the environment. In partnership with
the NGO, I will pursue the formation of Farmers club in secondary schools and the National Youth Service
Corps.
Essay four

I would describe myself as having entrepreneurial spirit because I am a visionary who constantly comes
up with new ideas to improve, adapt, excel, and innovate in line of business and profession.

Though I am an employee of a big fisheries and aquaculture centre, I have over the years established my
personal fishery venture and consultancy which I run on part-time basis with the help of five full-time
staff. The business was born out of my practical demonstration while I was in third year in the university.
I registered the business as a legal entity in year 2019. From mere two tanks, it has grown to a large farm
of over 25 ponds. My desire is to make it partly a business and partly a charity venture where the less
privileged youths can acquire free skills and be provided with starter packs to become self employed.

Essay Five

During my undergraduate project work, I bought male and female broodstock fish for my practical work
on artificial breeding. The fishes were injected with hormone solution to make them ready for the
practical. When the female eggs were ready and were pressed out to be cross fertilized with the male
milt, I discovered that the male has no sperm. At this point, the female egg can only survive for about an
hour. Though I was confused at first, but I was resilient believing there must be a way out. I started
reasoning a way out. I contacted few farmers around but none had the specie I needed. Then I explored
my networks and within an hour, a farmer from a nearby town got me a gravid male with huge milt.

Essay 6

I have completed three internships as an undergraduate student at three different Fisheries and
aquaculture centres. I became passionate in mentoring young people as a young graduate. After I left the
university, I volunteered at a church camp programme designed for youths and I found it very rewarding.
I enjoyed the challenge of intensive training of over 100 youth members of the Community/Eagle
Assembly Church Asaba, on fish spawning and pond management. It was a week programme but I
continued mentoring the youths even after the programme had ended. Over 60 of the trainees are
young girls who were passionate because they saw me as their role model. Mentoring them was easy
because being a young woman myself, l understood clearly the challenges they face and with my
knowledge and experience I help them to find solution. Since then, I have become a regular face I many
church and community youth programmes in Delta State. Getting married to my husband who is a
pastor, has boosted my zeal for volunteering.

Essay 7

My commitment to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which participants with diverse
perspectives, abilities, and experiences can confer, learn and collaborate productively and positively has
been demonstrated in my past experiences. Growing up, respect and tolerance were inculcated and
team spirit was emphasized in a community of people with diverse differences. This upbringing enabled
me to cultivate the attitude of respect for others, open mindedness and willingness to compromise, and
knowledge of how to work together with others irrespective of our differences. My past experiences
have been as fisheries specialist. I have mentored over 100’s of young people in the profession from
different backgrounds, ethnicity, religion, gender, age etc. In my position as a farm manager, I work
closely with management toward increasing diversity in our staff recruitment and customer drive.