On a consistent basis, The Etiquette Place, a corporate finishing school, has been invading the public primary schools in the country, particularly in Lagos State, with its iFinesse Project.
The project is a school programme powered by The Etiquette Place and aimed at reorientation of pupils to change the attitude narrative in public schools.
In partnership with the Lagos State Government, and supported by corporate sponsors, the project has gone beyond the reorientation to boost reading culture across the schools it has visited so far.
From organising free etiquette sessions and mentorships, it has distributed copies of “My Little Book of Etiquette” to public school pupils and teachers.
The volume is the reason to commend the initiative as thousands of copies of “My Little Book of Etiquette” have been distributed so far and being read by the pupils, and boosting reading culture as well.
As rightly pointed out by Yvonne Ebbi, lead consultant at The Etiquette Place and the initiator of the project, “We are building a culture of empathy, courtesy and respect in schools and colleges”.
The parents of the pupils at Ikeja Primary School, Military Cantonment Primary School, Military Primary School, Special Correctional Center for boys, Agidingbi Primary School, Ojodu Primary School 1, Ojodu Primary School 11, Ojodu Primary School 111 and counting, are already testifying as their children are beginning to improve in their reading habits.
Speaking about the book, Ebbi said: “Inspired by a senior executive from Glaxo SmithKline, who attended our Best Foot Programme in Sheraton, I have written “My Little Book of Etiquette.”
“This reader-friendly and pictorial book has become the official resource of our mandate”.
However, Ebbi and her team at The Etiquette Place want to do more for education, the pupils, the value system and the society at large, with the iFinesse Project.
“Our target is to distribute one million copies of “My Little Book of Etiquette” to public school pupils, students and teachers,” she noted.
To realise the above towering dream, Ebbi is organising the iFinesse inauguration ceremony on April 10, 2025 at Protea Hotel by Marriott, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos.
The programme, which is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m, according to her, will be honoured by the presence of the deputy governor and first lady of Lagos State and it seeks to express the iFinesse mandate to corporate organisations and stakeholders and attract financial sponsorship and support.
“We are inviting all stakeholders to join us to empower our children with the right attitude for life. It is a well known fact that a bad attitude is like a flat tyre. You cannot go anywhere until you change it.
“The Etiquette Place is committed to changing the attitude narrative in Nigeria – from the classroom to the boardroom,” she assured.
While the inauguration will further create awareness about the iFinesse project, she thinks that the educational community should take interest in the project because of the many benefits to the pupils and society at large, including; building a culture of courtesy and civility in schools and colleges.
Post the inauguration, the project seeks to boost the distribution of the Etiquette handbooks to about one million, amid teacher training programmes, establishment of iFinesse clubs in schools, enhancing the learning environment as well as creating a virtual learning portal.
In addition to the book and other projects of her organisation, Ebbi is concerned about Nigeria’s brand image, hence her efforts to improve the National Brand Index.
She has realised that there was an attitude gap, which was derived from a decline in values.
Hence in 2018, after a conversation with thousands of youths at the NNPC Towers as keynote speaker at the NNPC Healthy Lifestyle Programme, and after a series of the Flair Summer Programmes, she decided to take the attitude message to Nigerian schools and colleges.
The resultant effect, according to her, was identity crises among young people, which was evident by a glaring inferiority complex and low self esteem.
“Sadly, the media has strategically projected the WEST as superior giants and Blacks as low profile, unintelligent mortals.
We have unconsciously accepted this narrative and it has resulted in young people detesting the beautiful melanin skin, thick lips and broad nostrils.
“We have collectively despised our unique, black endowments. To us, everything white is right and we have fallen into the miserable pit of calling everything foreign and sovereign,” she decried.
She recalled that before 2020, rumour had it that the UK embassy received a total of 10,000 applications daily, from Nigerian applicants.
Imagine that and do the math! She exclaimed.
“Indeed, a warped identity is expensive,” Ebbi expressed her grave concern for a declining value system.
As stated in my first book, ‘REMINISCE’, rather than searching for answers inward, we are searching desperately for answers abroad.
“We say, dark and lovely but we think black and ugly!”
The above mindset, she noted, has enriched the brain drain and sent millions of brilliant Nigerians away from home, and some, to their detriment. She also regretted that many have perished in the desert in an attempt to find the illusory promised land.
“As a result of these issues, my team and I conceived the iFinesse Project, an initiative powered by The Etiquette Place, and a commitment to revive the value system in Nigeria and restore our National sense of pride,” she concluded, while inviting the public to the inauguration of the project in April 10, 2025.
