By Ikechukwu Agada

Ambassador Peace Igwe is Executive Director of Mainland Oil and Gas Company Limited, Group Executive Director of Chrisnak Group of Companies, and CEO of Divine Peace Supermarket and Mega Stores Limited, one of the largest supermarkets in Lagos located at Peace Mall, Victoria Garden City( VGC), Lekki-Ajah. Devoted to charitable causes, Igwe is also the founder of The Shining Teens Initiative, a non-profit organization. In this interview, she talks about her Foundation, especially the forthcoming gala night happening in November. Excerpts:

What is your motivation and what informed your choice of NGO?

The passion started with a childhood filled with love, kindness, and strong moral values. My parents, Walter Obiesie Emelumgini and Grace Emelumgini, instilled in me a deep love for children and teenagers. As I grew older, my compassion for young people only grew stronger. I would often visit a motherless babies’ home near my neighborhood, helping with daily tasks and cuddling the little ones. The experience gave me immense joy and a sense of purpose. One evening, during a church service, my pastor singled me out and shared a prophetic word about my calling to work with children and teens. The confirmation in my spirit was undeniable, and the pastor’s prayer for me sealed my commitment to this mission. From that moment on, I became more intentional about serving young people, joining the children’s and teens’ teaching departments in church and organizing events and training sessions. As I worked with teenagers, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of character formation, skill development, and confidence-building. I saw smiles, confidence, and transformation in the lives of the teens I worked with, and it inspired me every day. My passion and dedication to empowering young people only grew stronger with each passing day. Years of working with young people culminated in the birth of Shining Teens Initiative, an NGO dedicated to raising teenagers who shine through purpose, character, skill, and confidence. In 2023, my vision was officially registered, and I embarked on a mission to empower young people to reach their full potential and make a positive impact in their communities. With a clear mission and a burning passion, I am poised to make a lasting difference in the lives of countless teenagers.

Your organization is planning a big gala night event in Lagos for the youth towards November 2025. Tell us about the event? 

The Shining Teens Gala Night event is a glamorous evening event designed to inspire, empower and celebrate young people who are talented and aspire to greatness. One thing is sure, I have always aspired to creating opportunities that could give a youth a future. The theme is Night for the Future. We recognize that youth are the bedrock of sustainable national growth. 

A Night for the Future is more than a celebration, it’s a declaration of purpose, and it will bring over 1,000 Nigerian Teens / Youth, Educators, Mentors, Leaders, captains of industry, partners, and brands under one roof. It is a movement of hope, talent and purpose. Some of our partners and sponsors include, MTN, Artel Globacom, FCMB, Fideilty Bank, Monipoint Mainland Oil & Gas, Divine Peace Supermarket, Bright Logistics, Design Tactics Academy, Nutrichem Procurement Nig Ltd, Jax Greham, and Pomqem International Limited.

How has your organization been able to navigate this challenging economy considering that it is non-profit based?

For a non-profit organization like Shining Teens, navigating through a challenging economy is not just about survival; we stay true to our mission while adapting wisely. Despite economic hardship our organization has stayed grounded in its core purpose – Empowering youth through values , passion and skill acquisition training. By keeping the mission clear and transparent, focusing on building the next generation thereby encouraging supporters and volunteers to remain inspired to volunteer even when the economy is tight.

What are your challenges and major regrets?

One of our major challenges is partnership barrier. There is difficulty in securing strong and consistent sponsors or collaborations with larger organizations. We simply need partners and sponsors to help us achieve our goals.

We are still building our brand for visibility and recognition in a crowded non-profit/youth space.

And every youth who needs support has access to our initiative especially in the underserved areas. 

Most of our youth that need our support and assistance are not able to provide them with the equipment they need to fully maximize their full potential. 

We have the need to build a good facility skill center for further training but we are unable to do so as a result of funds. 

There are times we have missed impactful campaigns that could have been pursued strongly. We need partnerships and grants.

How do you think the government can encourage your organization to do better?

We want the government to partner organizations like us to scale up youth focused initiatives. 

We want the government to create open space innovation hubs , creative centers where young people can explore talents and ideas. 

And government should provide friendly policies that create opportunities for creativity and entrepreneurship.