ARDENET Consolidates Leadership for Edo Artisan Empowerment

The Artisans Development and Networking Organization (ARDENET Org) has entered a new phase in its evolution, consolidating its leadership structure and sharpening its mandate to empower artisans and young people across Edo State and beyond.

With the inaugural nomination of its Board of Trustees (BoT) and Advisory Council members, the organization has moved decisively from informal passion to formalized governance, signaling a strategic shift from vision to durable institution.

According to Wahalaupdate correspondent, this development, which formed a critical continuation of ARDENET’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 11 December 2025, was more than a routine gathering.

It represented governance in motion: a deliberate effort to entrench systems, clarify roles, and build a leadership architecture capable of sustaining impact over the long term.

Rather than serving as mere ceremonial display, the event underscored a simple but powerful message, ARDENET Organization is laying the foundations for continuity, accountability, and scale.

From Vision to Institution: The ARDENET Story

Founded in May 2018, ARDENET Organization emerged in response to a long-standing structural gap in Nigeria’s economy.

The persistent neglect of artisans, skilled workers, and informal sector professionals.

These are the people who fix homes, build infrastructure, fabricate equipment, style hair, repair vehicles, and operate small workshops, the invisible backbone of daily economic life.

Despite their importance, many artisans remain excluded from policy conversations, financial systems, and formal opportunities.

They often lack access to training, recognition, credit, and stable markets.

Youths who possess talent and potential frequently drift into underemployment or idleness because there is no structured bridge connecting skill to opportunity.

ARDENET Was Created To Change This Reality

Its mandate is clear and intentionally practical:

• Develop and upskill artisans through training, re-training, and certification.

• Connect skills to markets, ensuring that trained hands translate into paid work.

• Link youths to entrepreneurs, professionals, and mentors who can open doors.

• Standardize and professionalize trades to raise quality and market trust.

• Create sustainable economic pathways that move people from survival to stability and growth.

In plain terms, ARDENET exists to ensure that skill is no longer wasted, youth is no longer idle, and talent is no longer invisible.

The organization sees artisans not as leftovers of the economy, but as central players in development.

Governance Consolidation and Strategic Nominations

The most recent session in Benin City formally concluded critical governance actions deferred from the December AGM.

It delivered one key outcome: the nomination and affirmation of new Board of Trustees and Advisory Council members.

Also, establishing a more robust framework for oversight, policy direction, and stakeholder engagement.

This is not an abstract bureaucratic step.

For an organization like ARDENET: which aims to serve thousands of youths, artisans, and informal workers, strong governance is the difference between short-lived enthusiasm and long-term institutional relevance.

Newly Inaugurated Board of Trustees

The following individuals were inaugurated to the ARDENET Board of Trustees:

• Alhlaji Nosakhare Igbinidu

• Mrs. Lovet Abokin

• Chief Etiosa Omuemu

• Oduware Patience Asemota

• Dr. Marshall E A. Odede

• Engr. Bright Airumwunde

• Mrs. Abiola Daisy Igaga

• Prof. Mike Asekome

• Dr. Awele P. Ikem

These trustees bring a blend of leadership experience, development strategy expertise, and institutional credibility.

Their presence on the BoT is designed to anchor ARDENET’s long-term sustainability, helping the organization navigate growth, manage partnerships, and maintain integrity in its operations.

Beyond titles, the BoT will play a central role in shaping ARDENET’s strategic direction, approving major policies.

And ensuring that the organization remains faithful to its mission of empowering artisans and young people.

Advisory Inaugurated Board Memebers

Complementing the Board of Trustees, ARDENET also nominated members to its Advisory Council:

• Awunli Edith Eghosasere

• Joyce Abies Oviasu

• Edoso Eghobamie

• Pa S. O. Iguodala

• Mr. Aigbovo Uwagie

The Advisory Council is conceived as a dynamic think-tank layer within the organization. Council members are expected to offer:

• Strategic guidance on programs and partnerships.

• Mentorship and thought leadership for emerging leaders within ARDENET.

• Policy insight, especially in areas affecting the informal economy and youth unemployment.

• Cross-sector intelligence, ensuring ARDENET’s plans stay aligned with economic realities and emerging opportunities in Edo State and Nigeria at large.

In an environment where market conditions and policy frameworks shift rapidly, this advisory layer helps ARDENET remain agile, relevant, and forward-looking.

Executive Leadership Continuity

Alongside the new nominations, existing Executive Members of ARDENET Org were reaffirmed. This continuity is critical.

While new structures provide fresh energy and oversight, experienced executives preserve institutional memory and ensure that ongoing programs are not disrupted.

The combined effect is a leadership structure that blends continuity with renewal:

• Continuity in operations, relationships, and established programs.

• Renewal through new perspectives, expanded networks, and stronger checks and balances.

This balance positions ARDENET to execute its mission more effectively while preparing for future expansion.

Government Presence and Legal Oversight

Underscoring the seriousness of the occasion, the event was presided over by a representative of the Attorney General of Edo State, Barrister Lilian.

This official presence reinforced ARDENET’s commitment to legality, accountability, and alignment with broader state development objectives.

The participation of the Attorney General’s office made one broader truth clear: ARDENET is not operating in isolation.

Instead, it is deliberately positioning itself as a credible partner to:

• Government ministries, departments, and agencies concerned with jobs, youth, and enterprise.

• Development organizations seeking reliable local partners.

• Private sector actors in need of standardized, dependable artisans and skilled workers.

By organizing itself legally and structurally, ARDENET increases its ability to attract support, manage grants, negotiate partnerships, and advocate for policies that favor artisans and youths.

What This Means for Citizens, Youths, and Skill Providers

Beyond the internal governance shifts, the question for ordinary citizens is simple: What difference does this make?

This milestone is not just about leadership titles and protocols, it is about access, opportunity, and pathways.

ARDENET offers a practical bridge between:

• Youths seeking employable skills, mentorship, and entry points into the labor market.

• Artisans and skill providers who need structure, recognition, standardization, and access to bigger markets.

• Entrepreneurs and professionals searching for reliable, trained, and certified talent they can trust on critical projects.

Through ARDENET, members and partners can benefit from:

• Access to training and certification programs that raise skill levels and credibility.

• Entry into professional networks that connect them to jobs, contracts, and collaborations.

• Exposure to funding opportunities, grants, and support for small business growth.

• Business development services, including advisory support, basic record-keeping, and market access strategies.

• Policy advocacy and representation, ensuring that the voices of artisans and youths are heard in government and development circles.

• Collaboration platforms with professionals and enterprises, including joint projects, apprenticeships, and internships.

For youths, ARDENET can serve as a pathway from uncertainty to competence, from idle time to productive work.

For artisans, it can be a ladder from mere survival to scale, enabling them to formalize, grow, and employ others.

And for entrepreneurs and contractors, it can become a dependable talent pipeline rooted in real skill, not just paper qualifications.

A Strategic Call to Action

In a country where formal jobs are scarce but skills, creativity, and hustle abound, organization becomes a form of power.

When scattered talent comes together under a structured platform, it gains visibility, bargaining power, and leverage.

ARDENET Org is deliberately building that power, lawfully, transparently, and collaboratively.

Its emerging leadership structure is designed not to control artisans, but to empower them; not to replace government, but to complement it.

Citizens, youths, artisans, and professionals are therefore encouraged to:

• Engage with ARDENET’s programs and outreach activities.

• Participate in trainings, workshops, and networking sessions when announced.

• Align their skills and services with market demand through continuous learning.

• Leverage ARDENET’s partnerships to grow their craft, business, or career.

The door is open. The structure is set. The work has begun.

ARDENET’s governance consolidation signals emerging opportunity and calls Edo’s informal economy to organize for the future.