ASABA KINGSLEY KP clearly falls within the 30-under-30 entrepreneurs group. He is a writer – with eight impact-building books; an entrepreneur – owner of Kingspa Cleaning Services, Port Harcourt; a life-coach and public/motivational speaker at university campuses around Nigeria. As chairman of Internal Resources Concepts (IRC), a youth-specific entrepreneurship development and mind-building outfit, Kingsley has held several public speaking sessions in higher institutions around the country – re-directing the students’ minds into entrepreneurship-drive rather than the post-school laborious job-seeking mentality. Since 2013, when he registered IRC with the CAC, he has mentored thousands of students into business start-ups. He spoke to BEN EGUZOZIE on IRC’s character-building efforts, and their forthcoming Rivers Summit in May.
Tell us about yourself and what your IRC is all about
My name is Asaba Kingsley Perekedoumene, but popularly known in university campuses as Asaba KP Asaba. I’m the chairman of Internal Resources Concept, better known as IRC. The IRC is an NGO. It is a body of like-minded youths who believe in preparing the minds of the next generation (of Nigerians) positively through educative seminars and conferences. It was founded in 2013 under my leadership. We believe that we were born with everything we ever needed to succeed. We believe in the internal strength, the Internal Resources (of man). We have hosted series of educative seminars and entrepreneurship conferences within the South-South and South East geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We have a vision: to make you and I depend on God alone and what He (God) has given us to affect and change our world. We equally have a mission: to prepare the minds of the next generation (of Nigerians).
Since I left school, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, I have been engaged in several things. Today, by God’s grace, I’m a writer – I’ve written eight books: these are: Pay Now and Play Tomorrow; The Hunger for the Future; You and Destiny; After School, What Next…? After NYSC, What Next…? How to Succeed as a Student; Mind Shift; Let’s Talk About You.
We have a surfeit of so-called motivational speakers, but they hardly demonstrate with their own examples. Do you fall in this category?
I’m also an entrepreneur – I’m the owner of Kingspa Cleaning Services in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. We’re into all kinds of cleaning, industrial cleaning and other cleaning jobs for our clients. I have six employees. So, I have something to show. I don’t only speak and motivate, but I show example. I’m also an activist – I activate the minds of youths into the positive direction. I’m a life-coach and a motivational/public speaker. Many have described me as ‘one of the most renowned, respected and sought-after young voices from Nigeria.’ All this is to the glory of God Almighty.
Through our IRC’s quarterly Students’ Academic Summit (SAS) and the Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Summit (UES), I have touched the minds of several young people, especially students. Our quarterly SAS usually draws large attendance of students from different universities, and nearby secondary schools. I’m so passionate about the next generation. I have also honoured invitations to speak in different organizations, churches, students’ gatherings in different campuses within this country and beyond.
I was born in the West, Ede in Osun State, schooled in the East, Owerri, Imo State had my NYSC orientation camp in the North, Sokoto State. Yet I hail from the South-South, Delta State. These experiences have combined to give me knowledge of the various challenges being faced by the Nigerian youths in parts of this country. Through our summits and conferences, we’ve been proffering some solutions to the youths’ challenges. Today I’m sold out to preparing the next generation. If we ignore the cry of the next generation, then the future of this country will be sorely jeopardized.
How has your life coaching and entrepreneurship/skills segments impacted on the students you came across?
By the grace of God, our life coaching and entrepreneurship/skills segments have impacted so many students. For instance, some have often called on phone or sent us emails after our seminars, reporting that they were quite inspired by our coaching seminars or that they have started their own business, using examples they garnered from our life-coaching lessons. Some others called to say they would be establishing a business after their school. Others said they have begun one small campus business or the other, since we visited their campus. One lady once met me one time to say that since she attended our summit in FUTO [Federal University of Technology, Owerri], her mind had changed. That after she left FUTO, she began a clothing business. And that today, she has employed one person in the business. According to her, she wasn’t thinking of going to look for a job. And that she pays herself and her staff. Many others have accosted me to say that our life-coaching and entrepreneurship/skills acquisition sessions changed their orientation. All these give me joy, fulfilment that our vision is coming to fruition. That, I’m re-directing the minds of my fellow youths – into a positive direction.
However, we’re still scratching the surface – there is still huge work to do – many unreached students and youths. Besides, we’re still struggling in our NGO. So far, we’ve been personally funding most of our seminars. We’re seriously in need of partners. We’re open to the corporate world to key us into their CSR – corporate social responsibility – for them to partner with us by keying into our vast reach to transform the lives of vast number of youths out there. Attendances at our SAS, life-coaching and entrepreneurship/skills acquisition seminars inform us that we have the reach. So, some companies can partner with us using their CSRs.
You have your upcoming Educational Summit tagged ‘Rivers State,’ how does this draw from previous SAS?
Our major aim of holding the students’ academic summit is to identify a number of students who are struggling to get education. There are vast number of students in our campuses who are not able to pay their school fees. We aim to reach out and assist these calibre of students – the less-privileged students. I am looking forward to a period when our IRC would go into campuses and offset the fees of some less-privileged students. Through the forthcoming Rivers Summit (education summit), we intend to sensitize some companies in the country, and some well-to-do Nigerians to ‘spare a penny’ for suffering students – either support their education – or give them some entrepreneurship skill to be on their own.
Introducing Manager and Head of Planning & Logistics: I’ll like to introduce Progress Meeting, our Manager and Head of Planning & Logistics at IRC. This young man, who is also a videographer, a photographer, also into printing and publishing, is the brain behind most of the successes of our seminars and conferences. He is currently reaching out to possible sponsors and partners for the forthcoming Rivers Summit. We’re clearly open for partnerships.
