Olugbenga Obakin is a financial-crime consultant based in the United Kingdom. He had his first degree in Geology from the prestigious premier university in Nigeria, University of Ibadan. He worked in different banks in Nigeria before proceeding to the United Kingdom to bag a Masters in Business Administration from Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield.
Olugbenga is involved in youth mentoring and coaching. He is passionate about helping youths make good choices early in life. His passion, no doubt, has come from his background, having strict parents, his quest to explore life as a teenager, the choices he made, the choices made by others around him and the consequences thereafter. He believes in the saying “experience is the best teacher”.
He has a good relationship with youths while mentoring them because he has seen it all and was able to make his choices through all these to become who he is today.
Olugbenga is involved with Rivers of Joy Initiatives, a non-profit organisation based in Essex through which he reaches out to youths during programmes and activities. He is also involved in catering for the homeless by providing food to sheltered homes. Olugbenga also features in open mic events and slams as well as spoken word events in the Northeast, England.
His greatest passion is to impact society through the youths as the youths are the future of tomorrow. We are sharing our recent interview with him.
Pro Media Mag : Who or what inspired you to get into this profession?
Olugbenga Obakin : I have been involved in youth coaching and mentoring for a while now. After some time, I felt I could reach out to more youths and that was when I decided to write.
Pro Media Mag : Qualification or experience what’s the key to your success?
Olugbenga Obakin : I had a very strict background while growing up in Africa but that didn’t stop me from exploring life vas a teenager, made mistakes but I was able to stand upright through it all because of the solid foundation I had.
Pro Media Mag : You are offering consultancy to Youth Only?
Olugbenga Obakin : I am focused on youths majorly but I also work with parents especially parents that are having issues with their recalcitrant teenagers.
Pro Media Mag : You are involved in different social activities, our readers would like to know more about that?
Olugbenga Obakin : I am involved with Rivers of Joy Initiatives, a non-profit organisation based in Essex, UK through which I reach out to youths during programmes and activities. I am also involved in catering for the homeless by providing food to sheltered homes. I do feature in open mic events and slams as well as spoken word events in the Northeast, England
Pro Media Mag : Tell us about your book ‘Perfect Teens Do(Not) Exist’?
Olugbenga Obakin : The book is about making the right choices because the experiences and challenges of teens are continually evolving and the average teen is faced with issues of identity, morals, and peer pressure, finding self (purpose discovery), drugs and alcohol, internet and social media addiction among others and this has led to the increasing demand for ‘teen guides. While these challenges have always been in existence, they are wearing on a new outlook in the lives of the youth.
Overcoming peer pressure is a necessary ingredient for a teen to be able to survive in his or her environment. It is one of the major killers of a teen’s vision. Sometimes, caving into peer pressure can also be a function of parental overprotection. Self-confidence is key in the battle to overcome this sort of pressure. Also, parents need to be very strategic at this stage of their lives to bring out the best in them.
More and more young people are indulged with internet and social media. How and for what purpose it’s being used for is what matters. To keep the teens away from such habit, making them to understand the consequences of their choices and staying productive will go a long way in helping.
The book does not aim to sound like a sermon but to make the teens understand that their struggles are not unique to them but to know that overcoming or staying away from detrimental habits and practices is achievable.
From my personal experience, the book is aimed to help youths make the right choices in life as the choices made at this stage of their lives go a long way to determine their future.
The book can be bought on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Okadabooks
Pro Media Mag : What kind of response you have received so far?
Olugbenga Obakin : It’s been awesome so far. I launched the book on June 28, 2019 in Studio 3 arts in Barking, Essex. There was a massive turnout of youths and their parents and I have received encouraging reviews. From the book launch, I am getting invites to come and speak with teenagers on different platforms, even internationally. For example, I am going to be doing a workshop with a group of teenagers in Dallas this month and I am having school tours in August.
Pro Media Mag : Have you set some goals to achieve?
Olugbenga Obakin : Yes. I hope to have visited about 50 schools for workshop between now and December 2019 for book reading and workshop.
Pro Media Mag : Are you working on any new project?
Olugbenga Obakin : Intend to do a second series of my book next year but for now I want to concentrate on helping youths achieve their goals.
Pro Media Mag : What’s the best way to follow you online?
Olugbenga Obakin :
My IG, Twitter and Facebook are @gbengaobakin
My website is gbengaobakin.com
