Birthdays are special days and for Cofounder of ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication (ImpactHouse CfDC), Femi Aderibigbe, it is another time to reflect, plan and appreciate God.
Described as a great leader with an eye for excellence, Femi, whose birthday was 16 December, preferred a quiet marking of the day.
However, his beloved family – including his loving wife and beautiful children – friends and team members at ImpactHouse CfDC, publishers of Development Diaries, would not have any of that as they drenched Femi in the pool of a pleasant surprise.
First, Femi woke up to hear a ‘happy birthday’ trumpet. He looked up, with a large grin splitting his face.
Thereafter, his ImpactHouse team, which he always describes as amazing, presented him with a large portrait of himself.
‘I see the call to do social development as a ministry, so I believe that I have been called to make the world better, and making the world better starts with making your environment better, making the people around you better’, he said.
‘I have identified some key areas within social development that I really want to work on, one of which is media, so that we can amplify what is good that needs to be reported and amplify voices of those who are demanding change in Nigeria and in Africa.
‘So I think, in a nutshell, a birthday to me is an opportunity to commit to these ideals and philosophy and I am glad today [16 December] is one’.
Femi further made a wish on what he wanted for his birthday.
‘This year has been very remarkable in all aspects. Academically, I am back in school and I am glad for the successes. Also, career-wise, I have had the opportunity to experience promotions twice this year, and I am humbled and honoured to have an amazing team in ImpactHouse CfDC, which is my pet project’, he said.
‘So I wish that everyone who is connected to me continues to experience boundless growth in all that they do; I wish that our desire and our work about impacting humanity continues to grow and garner much more results’.
Sharing a birthday post on her Facebook page, Femi’s beautiful wife and chief planner of the pleasant birthday surprise, Kehinde, described her husband in heart-melting words, leaving many followers in a world of awwwn.
‘To the wonderful man I love, happy birthday sweetie! I never knew what soulmate meant until I met you’, she wrote.
‘You are a great man, the way you teach our [children] to love God is fantastic, you do it with your own life as an example. They really look up to you dead, and so do I! Happy birthday, once again, my love. I pray that our Lord Jesus fills your life with his strength and joy all your days on earth. Love you’.
Femi is a tech-savvy administrator and development practitioner with about 15 years of professional experience in government relations, non-profit/programme management, grant-making and development communications.
His project roles span 19 cities in Nigeria, and Ghana, Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast with team members of diverse orientations and ethnic nationalities.
The seasoned community outreach specialist, who is adept at working with a wide variety of community demographics to formulate beneficial programmes and issue resolutions, has an impressive record of implementing successful community services and engagements.
Femi, who has maintained a consistently positive and respectful attitude toward all citizens and traditional, local and state authorities, served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee on Education Reform Bills appointed by the President of the Eighth Nigerian Senate.
We wish him many more productive years of happiness, good health, and more success in his journey of life.
