The importance of mentorship for professional growth and national development has been brought to the fore at the 5th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN), as the erudite Professor of agile organisational transformation, Lere Baale, took elders in the Pharmacy profession on the journey of mentorship and the numerous benefits that accompany it.
Baale, the first pharmacist to deliver the BOF-PSN Public Lecture, since its inception, five years ago, urged the Board of Fellows as well as public and private organisations to embrace mentorship in order to build a team of transformational leaders, who will be equipped to accelerate the progress level of their different professions and the country at large in the nearest future.
The Professor, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Business School Netherlands in Nigeria, particularly saddled the BOF-PSN with the task of establishing a mentoring institution, which will be majorly for the grooming of young pharmacists, in the act of honing their skills, advancing their career, towards emerging transformational leaders of tomorrow.
BOF-PSN 5th Public Lecture, held at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja, was one of the 3-day programmes, designed for the 2023 Mid-Year event, which commenced with a seminar and workshop, on Tuesday, 5th Public Lecture on Wednesday, and Mid-Year Meeting/Award Night on Thursday. The Award Night, which was graced by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saw the decoration of five notable Nigerians with award of excellence for the significant contributions to national development.
He defined mentorship as a relationship built on trust, respect, and mutual learning. It involves a mentor, a seasoned professional with expertise in a particular field, and a mentee, a less experienced individual seeking guidance and growth. The mentor's role is to provide advice, share knowledge, offer constructive feedback, and nurture the mentee's skills and abilities.
According to Baale, “A mentorship programme for young pharmacists can be crucial to their professional development and contribute to national progress. By pairing experienced Pharmacy professionals with enthusiastic beginners, we can create a supportive environment that fosters learning, skill enhancement, and career advancement. Let us outline the steps to implement an effective mentorship programme for young pharmacists, focusing on their professional growth and its broader impact on national development”.
For effective implementation of the mentorship programme, he gave a step by step guide as follows “Define programme objectives, by articulating the objectives of the mentorship programme, which is crucial for its success; Establish programme structure and resources, by assigning necessary resources to ensure the programme runs smoothly; Recruit mentors and mentees; Conduct mentor and mentee training; Facilitate meaningful mentorship relationships; Offer educational and networking opportunities and Evaluate the programme's impact”
The seasoned lecturer highlighted the benefits of mentorship on individuals, saying it helps identify the core SHAPE of different personalities, where S stands for Special gifts of mentees like talents, time management, tiers and hidden treasures. H- Heart, which is the seat of the passion of mentees. A – stands for Abilities, P stands for Personality, and E stands for how to explore and deplore both positive and negative historical Experiences of mentees for a better future. He said the SHAPE helps mentees to take D – Decisions. Decisions determine destiny, as mentorship helps mentees in their journey of destiny.
SHAPE apart, he noted other impacts of mentorship on individuals and organisations as personal growth and development, professional advancement, skill enhancement, expanded network,enhanced organisational culture, social impact and giving back and offer educational and networking opportunities.
In his address earlier in the programme, the Chairman, BOF-PSN, Pharm. (Dr) Joel Adagadzu, appreciated all Fellows for their contributions towards the success of the programme, which was his second MYM since his assumption of office. He explained the aptness of the theme “ Leveraging mentorship for professional growth and national development “and its crucial role in facilitating a robust relationship between older, vastly experienced pharmacists and the younger pharmacists.
It is important, he said for professional associations to adopt the concept of mentorship as a pathway to fostering positive relationship and to guide the younger professionals effectively, if we intend to bequeath a prosperous future for them.
Planning Committee Chairman, 2023 MYM, Pharm. (Mrs) Joke Bakare, also expressed the sincere gratitude of the Board to all guests at the programme, particularly the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Manason G. Rubianu, president, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria; the Father of the Day, Prince Julius Adeluyi-Adeluyi, president, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy; and Chief Host, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, president, PSN.
The award recipients were: Mallam Yusuf O. Ali, SAN, founder and sole financier, Yusuf Olaolu Ali Foundation; and principal partner, Yusuf Ali &Co (Ghalib Chambers); Mr Adetunji Doherty, managing director, Medheight group of companies; Alhaji Yusuf Haliru Binji, managing director, BUA Cement; Chief Oluwole Awotuyi, chairman/managing director, Tuyil Pharm. Ind. Ltd Ilorin; Mallam Farouk A. Salim, director general/chief executive, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
