How it began

Ambassador Vincent S. Okobi,
Charter President

Stemming from what aptly qualifies as the ‘fickle hands of fate,’ a casual introduction of a personal friend became my master key to the door of the Toastmaster International (TMI) world.

A subsequent visit to their website revealed an extraordinary wealth of information on this world-renowned organization dedicated to making effective oral communication and leadership development a world-wide phenomenon. As an Internationalist, the absence of Nigeria from the array of over 100 countries (spanning all the continents) in which Toastmasters International is established, aroused my curiosity and sparked off a passionate commitment to action on my part.

In the following weeks and months, I waded through the bureaucratic labyrinth of the challenging journey of realizing the establishment of TMI here in Nigeria.

The effort involved a personal trip to the Toastmasters International Convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in August 2005. The relationships struck at the Toronto Convention were sustained with numerous e-mails and telephone calls between our sponsoring clubs, the Diplomats Club of Washington, DC and of course the close coordination with the International President at world headquarters in California. Efforts finally paid off with Eagle Toastmaster Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria being chartered in December 9, 2005, with my humble self as the Charter President.

The rest, as they say, is now history and by installation of the elected executives of Eagle Toastmasters Club, this international body of repute is now in Nigeria. As the eagle depicted in our name, we will continue to fly all over Nigeria, ever showing the light and bringing whatever we learn from Toastmasters International to all. Special congratulations go to those 25 men and women constituting the charter masters who also believed in my dream.

My dream for Toastmasters International in Nigeria, in as short time as possible is that this organization will become a house hold word with the rapid creation of many other clubs so as to enhance and foster communication and leadership skills of many Nigerians from all walks of life, but particularly with our youth on whom the country’s future lies.