Policy & Research
Codifying 13 Years of Social Innovation & Narrative Agency
The Vision
To bridge a decade of field-tested leadership with rigorous academic inquiry, creating a new blueprint for Social Sovereignty in emerging markets. My work focuses on moving beyond aid-dependency toward a model of institutional resilience built on the authentic “African Journey.”
Primary Interest Areas
1. Narrative Sovereignty & Indigenous Knowledge
I am investigating the impact of “Stories of Africans, told by Africans” on the scalability of social enterprises. This research argues that the most sustainable economic resource is the narrative identity of the people. By reclaiming the story of the “African Journey,” we provide entrepreneurs with the psychological and strategic framework necessary for long-term survival.
2. Scalability of Social Enterprises
How do grassroots organizations transition into permanent institutions? Utilizing a 13-year longitudinal data set from the Youth Arise Organisation, I explore the systems, governance, and leadership models required to scale social impact across borders.
3. Venture Philanthropy & Economic Decoupling
My research examines the efficacy of “Circular Social Economies”—where commercial ventures (such as Agribusiness and Manufacturing) fund non-profit missions. I seek to prove that financial independence is the only true foundation for sustainable social change.
The 'Life-Story' Leadership Framework
Based on the book, Leading By Your Life Story
My proprietary framework, codified in the book Leading By Your Life Story, serves as the engine for my research into institutional resilience. Unlike traditional linear leadership models, this methodology recognizes that the most robust social enterprises are built through a narrative cycle of trial, introspection, and intentional scaling.
The Three Pillars of Narrative Resilience:
1. The Unplanned Phase (The Grassroots Discovery)
This phase represents the organic, often volatile start of a leader’s journey. It is characterized by action-oriented grassroots work, where the “African Journey” is lived in real-time. My research explores how founders navigate this high-risk period without losing their organizational mission.
2. The Pause and Reflect Phase (The Narrative Synthesis
This is the critical “Mid-Point” of leadership. It is the moment where the leader stops to document and synthesize their field data and personal history. My methodology focuses on this phase as the key to Narrative Sovereignty—where the leader decides how their story (and their organization’s story) will be told to the world.
3. The Planned Phase (The Institutional Architecture)
In the final phase, the leader moves from “reactive” to “architectural.” The lessons of the past are codified into systems, governance, and self-sustaining economic models (like the Venture Philanthropy models used at YAO). This is where scalability is achieved
Global Policy Engagements
My research is informed by a career spent at the intersection of private enterprise and international development policy:
Institutional Collaboration
I am currently open to collaboration with global think tanks, universities, and research institutions focused on Inclusive Leadership and Sub-Saharan Economic Policy. My goal is to synthesize my “West African Lab” findings into the global discourse on sustainable development.