Book review
By Abdul Hassan Fackie
Touching lives: my LAPO journey
By Dr. Godwin Eseiwi Ehigiamusoe.
The book, “Touching lives: my LAPO journey,” by Dr. Godwin Eseiwi Ehigiamusoe is, to all intents and purposes, a literary masterpiece that should be counted among the best selling books in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa.
Written primarily to recount the success story of the Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO), Dr. Ehigiamusoe has, perhaps without intending to, expertly succeeded in achieving several goals, namely, firstly, he has told a very concise story of the giant microfinance bank that LAPO had become; secondly, he has provided very rich research materials for students and scholars in the microfinance and banking disciplines; thirdly, he has provided a text book that schools and colleges can use to teach microfinance and banking; and fourthly, he has stamped his name on the African literary stage as a great thinker as well as an accomplished writer.
This three hundred and sixty five page book is so rich in material, so intriguing in retelling, so forceful and convincing in presentation and so suspenseful in style that you will just keep flipping the pages while shifting on your seat or reclining on your bed until the cockcrow tells you that you have been so completely absorbed by this gripping tale that you had lost all count of time.
Throughout the telling of the story of his life and the bank he founded in 1987, what amazes one so complety is that in spite of the man’s diverse sterling achievements, he has remained humble and down earth, a character he attributes to his Christian upbringing by his strict but loving parents, his father, Evangelist Michael Ehigiamusoe Emumwen and mother, Deaconess Ugheghe Ehigiamusoe.
In “Touching lives: my LAPO journey,” Dr. Ehigiamusoe has also succeeded in weaving a rich foray into various fields, from microfinance to microcredit, from banking to business development and management, from the study of human character and endeavour to the vissititudes of fate, from displaying his journalistic skills to being a skilled orator, teacher, counsellor, preacher, father, social mobiliser, lecturer, motivational speaker and influencer all rolled into one.
He deftly retraces his steps to Sierra Leone, explaining how when he came to Liberia and Sierra Leone on an assignment he promptly fell in love with Sierra Leone, a passion that culminated in the establishment of LAPO Sierra Leone in 2007, which has now become a household name in the microfinance and banking sectors and employing close to four hundred Sierra Leoneans as well as offering access to money and improving the lives of thousands of average Sierra Leoneans. He equally reveals that LAPO Nigeria is now spread right across many states in Nigeria and employs thousands of Nigerians and positively impacting the lives of millions of average Nigerians.
For the millions of students and scholars in Africa and elsewhere who are desirous to conduct research into how to start a multi national microfinance bank from scratch and build it into a giant institution, I will gladly refer you to this book. For those young men and women aspiring to write and become good authors of books, this book will provide a useful guide and insight to you. For those managers who are having challenges in how to manage their resources and workers, you need to have this book on your table and daily drink from its deep fountain of teaching, guidance and counselling. For those seeking inspiration to start their own businesses this book can serve you as a reliable guide and business plan. For those who want to learn on how to remain calm and humble and not allow success and riches to go into your head and puff you up, you need to read this book and discover how Dr. Ehigiamusoe has been able to achieve this rare and enviable feat.
Although I am not writing the profile of Dr. Godwin Eseiwi Ehigiamusoe but reviewing his book, “Touching lives: my LAPO journey,’ I believe that it is just naturally expected that I should say a few words about him .
In brief, Dr. Godwin Eseiwi Ehigiamusoe was born in 1958. He is a widely acknowledged pathfinder in the microfinance and social entrepreneurship space. He founded the Life Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) and a number of other institutions to address the challenges of the lack of access to money, poor health and social exclusion. He is a recipient of numerous awards including the FATE Foundation’s Model Entrepreneur Award 2008; Outstanding Social Entrepreneur-Africa of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship 2010; and Doctor of Sciences (D. Sc.) (honoris causa) of the University of Benin, Benin city, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dr. Ehigiamusoe holds a doctorate degree in Policy and Development Studies. He has authored several books and articles and presented many papers and lectures on microfinance, enterprise development and non profits. He currently leads the LAPO Group International. He is married and has children and grand children.
