The Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa) has convened young leaders, entrepreneurs and aspiring professionals for a focused engagement on personal growth, leadership and business development.
Its January Business Meeting and Mentorship Session which held at the Onitsha Business School, GRA, was themed, “Laying the Right Foundation: Vision, Values, and Action for 2026,” creating space for learning, reflection, mentorship and networking among Africa’s emerging change-makers.
The Founder of UDUF Africa, Ezuma Smart Chinedu, presented the theme and delivered a practical session that stressed preparation, reflection and intentional action as essential ingredients for success in the new year.
Ezuma emphasised that the beginning of any endeavour determines its outcome, explaining that success grows from deliberate preparation rather than wishful thinking.
According to him, as no building stands without a solid base, no individual attains lasting success without a strong foundation.
He identified preparation as the first step towards achievement and described reflection as a critical tool for reviewing past actions, resetting priorities and realigning goals.
Ezuma guided participants on productive reflection by advising them to set aside quiet time, focus on actions rather than emotions, ask the right questions, practise honesty, document lessons learnt and convert insights into practical steps.
He compared the new year to a blank cheque and a book with empty pages, reminding participants that opportunities reward those who prepare.
The Founder of UDUF Africa challenged young leaders and entrepreneurs to commit to three actions in 2026: believe in themselves, change their thoughts and associations to improve outcomes, and start afresh without delay.
The session focused on three core pillars of leadership and entrepreneurship—Vision, Values and Action.
Vision as a picture
“Vision is a clear picture of a desired future. Vision provides direction while ambition supplies the drive. Vision is like a map and ambition to an engine.
He identified fear and doubt as major obstacles that often blur clarity while presenting values as guiding principles that shape behaviour, credibility and impact.
Ezuma urged participants to align their personal lifestyle values with the value they deliver through their work or businesses.
Stressing that meaningful success flows from consistency between character and contribution, he highlighted action as the bridge between ideas and results.
According to him, “without action, vision and values remain ineffective. Action turns plans into reality, builds confidence, creates momentum and delivers measurable outcomes.”
Book of the month
A major highlight of the meeting was the review of the book of the month “Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.
Joshua Chimdindu Iheanacho facilitated the session, which centred on productivity, prioritisation and overcoming procrastination, while participants actively shared insights and engaged in discussions.
During the review, Comrade Uchenna Christopher, a member of the UDUF Africa Board of Directors, encouraged participants to move beyond reading to applying lessons from the organisation’s One Month, One Book initiative.
He stressed that disciplined reading expands knowledge, strengthens decision-making and supports continuous personal development.
The programme also featured a parliamentary session and interactive discussions that enabled networking, idea exchange and peer learning.
Many participants described the meeting as practical, insightful and motivating.
