IBGO 2026: Mentoring youths on roadmap to success

After a successful maiden edition last year, the Isijola Blessing Gbenga Oluseye (IBGO) Mentorship Network made a huge return to same venue with an impressive turn out of participants. Organized by IBGO Mentorship Network, a youth Mentorship Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), the youth empowerment conference held recently at EUI Event Centre, GRA Phase III, Port Harcourt, recorded no fewer than 5,145, surpassing the last edition with 128% increase. It emerged as the single-largest longest-sitting conference of youths in Port Harcourt.

According to the Programmes Director, Dr. Tayo Isijola, the conference, which was themed Success Codes, was curated to train attendees on the approaches, leverages, values and principles of success, by success icons across varied industries who brought diverse perspectives to the theme.

In three distinct segments that spanned 10 hours, the resource persons for IBGO Youth conference include five keynote speakers, five others on fireside panel session, and five performing artistes who thrilled the audience from 10am till 8pm. With From Prinx Emmauel, Iroghama Ogbeifun, Ugochukwu Omeogu, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori (Kie-kie), Eric Gugua and Blessing Isijola- the convener, attendees enjoyed a robust interaction as demonstrated during the feedback question and answer sessions for each speaker.

The panel session, which had Oby-Ivy as moderator, presented four youth-centred Port Harcourt icons and thought leaders, such as the renowned gospel artiste, Preye Odede, K.O. Baba aka The Mayor of Pitakwa), Olumati Isiah and Dr. Ella Ezeadileje (Veronica’s daughter), each one exploring the themes by sharing their personal success stories. After a free-lunch break, the audience was treated to the taste of delectable performances by Sammy Hart, Presh Strings, Erastus, Dera Speaks and Raymond D Poet, as well as the DTR playhouse production of Barclays Ayakoroma’s “Castles in the Air”.

Olumati Isaiah, a leadership development strategist, undertook the success charge, which offers a refreshing insight that challenges the popular fixation on wealth as the measure of success. Drawing from his own journey and struggles, Olumati described success as a layered and evolving concept that should not be fixated to narratives of incidences. His charge emphasizes the urgency of aggressive, self-directed learning in a rapidly changing world. He also highlighted the power of making deliberate decisions rather than waiting to “grow” into dreams, and the importance of building relationships that open doors rather than reinforce limitations. With striking clarity, he urged young people to act on their ambitions now and not postpone purposes. Notably, the opening charge ends with a memorable caution against overdependence, even when they come as well-meaning support.

Nigerian music maker, Prinx Emmanuel, on the other hand, brought a practical lens to the conversation by redefining success as a function of personal growth rather than public applause. Through relatable stories of personal industry experiences, he alluded that success is a system that will require the right “codes” to unlock. Prinx highlighted the need to have a clear vision, engage adaptive thinking beyond digital shortcuts, and the discipline to turn failure into fuel for improvement. Equally compelling was his insistence on consistency as the bridge between potential and achievement, urging participants to show up daily, refine their craft, and take ownership of their journey. Together, the first two speakers offered a compelling blend of reflection and action, leaving the audience with a grounded and inspiring roadmap to success.

The technocrat entrepreneur, Iroghama Ogbiefun urged the audience to embrace audacity, cultivate self-awareness to build competence and anchor their aspirations on strong values. Her relatable anecdotes, cultural references, and unfiltered honesty about personal struggles and success journeys humanized her message for participants’ comprehension. Iro’s engagement ends on a high note that calls on conferees to break cycles of inertia, take ownership of their development, and intentionally translate inspiration into measurable advancement.

Content creator and social media influencer, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, aka Kei-kie, shared conversation that centred on having clear and relatable ideas, emphasizing authenticity. She encouraged young people to embrace who they truly are rather than perform for acceptance. She spoke about self-confidence and ownership of one’s journey, urging conferees to trust their process and not compare their paths to others. Kie-Kie highlighted the importance of consistency and hard work behind success, demystifying the glamour often associated with visibility; and reminded participants that their uniqueness is not a limitation but their greatest asset in navigating both personal growth and career opportunities.

Ugochukwu Omeogwu, a life coach and premium business strategist, drew from his lived experience of overcoming polio and early-life limitations to inspire conferees to success. Ugochukwu’s engagement employed vivid storytelling, interactive demonstrations, and thought-provoking questions that challenged conventional thinking about adversity, success, and personal agency, which compelled the youth to rethink their definitions of reality, embrace the power of the mind, and pursue knowledge as the true currency of advancement. Through a dynamic stage presence and relatable analogies, his message resonated as a practical blueprint for intentional living and self-determined success.

Blessing Isijola, the conference convener and lead mentor at IBGO Mentorship Network, through his compelling “DARE” framework, translated abstract ideas of success into relatable, actionable principles to stimulate reflection and action for self-advancement. He encouraged the audience to be positioned for success, not as a distant ideal but as a deliberate, accessible outcome that is shaped by disciplined thought, internal alignment, and consistency, to demonstrate ownership of their journeys with renewed purpose and intentionality.

Eric Gugua, a social media influencer and thought leader, engaged conferees by sharing practical industry experience through storytelling styles to demystify the journey to success. Through relatable anecdotes drawn from his own nonlinear path in content creation and filmmaking, he challenged young participants to embrace clarity over haste, movement over perfection, and systems over mere goals. Eric laid emphasis on relationships, consistency, and the discipline of showing up, even when unnoticed, which resonated strongly with the audience. His engagement created a reflective atmosphere that shifted their focus from chasing visibility to building values for success.

The panel session at the IBGO Youth Conference 2026, moderated by Oby Ivy, unfolded as a rich interrogation of “success codes” beyond surface-level glamour, grounding the discourse in lived experiences, values, and strategic self-awareness, as the panellists—Dr. Ella Ezeadileje (Veronica’s Daughter), Olumati C. Isaiah, Preye Odede, and K.O. Baba, were positioned not merely as achievers but as embodiments of distinct success philosophies. Ella’s narrative foregrounded the power of storytelling as both a vocation and an economic tool, tracing her journey from organic Facebook writings to a structured personal brand rooted in authenticity and pedagogy. Olumati, in contrast, emphasized the rigour of internal value systems, illustrating the weight of integrity through his account of walking away from a high-stakes financial opportunity, thereby framing success as the courage to choose principle over profit.

Collectively, the panel advanced a multidimensional framework for success anchored on values, principles, and leverage. Preye Odede’s reflections on family, restraint, and the discipline to resist the urge to quit highlighted the formative role of upbringing and endurance, while K.O. Baba redefined competition through collaboration, presenting kindness and cooperative synergy as strategic assets within the creative economy. Notably, the discourse on principles revealed a tension between growth and moral consistency, with Ella underscoring the cost of value-driven choices in a monetized digital space. The session culminated in a forward-looking conversation on leverage, where panelists collectively identified underutilized assets such as people, thinking, access, and technology as necessary leverage for advancement.

Gratitude was the final note of the IBGO Youth Conference 2026.

After specially acknowledging the Mayor of Housing for his vital support alongside the Friends of IBGO Mentorship Network, who backed the self-sponsored initiative, BIsijola brought the event to a close with the announcement of a new date for the next edition: Saturday, May 1, 2027.