A Social Engineering Practitioner, recognised thought leader, speaker, a most sought female event host and Master of Ceremonies, MC Joyce Daniels boasts of 15 years’ experience in the corporate space.
Daniels, who hails from Idunwele-Ewu community of Esan Central LGA, aspires to serve her people as Chairman of the Local Government Council, on the platform of The People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
She has authored two books in her field of speaking and event hosting and has trained over 12,000 individuals across eight countries.
With a B.Sc. in Anatomy from the University of Port Harcourt, she is an advocate for Social Justice, Political, and Economic Reforms. She is an associate at Women in Business, Management & Public Service (WIMBIZ), a mentor at Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), member Women in Energy, Oil & Gas (WEOG), a student at The Prestigious School of Politics, Policy and Governance, and she is a Fellow pioneer cohort of the ElectHER Future Lawmakers Programme— an intensive five-month legislative and leadership development programme for aspiring female lawmakers, where she served as Class Governor.
Speaking on her growing up and eventual career path, she said: “I was the restless talkative child who was always willing, ready and able to express herself to almost anyone and on almost any subject that I could speak about. Through primary school up till secondary school, I was always in a debate or press club.
“The first time I held the microphone to MC an event I was 10 years old. It was the first lady’s children’s concert in Abuja, organised by Maryam Babangida the then First Lady of Nigeria. I loved and enjoyed the experience. After that came the opportunity to MC parties for friends, birthdays, weddings, church events and so on, which I took in stride.
“I did it out of love and enjoyment until I understood that it could be a profession; a well-paying profession that would expose me to amazing networks of people. Thus, the decision was not difficult to make to decide to be a speaker full time. I realised that what came very naturally and easily to me, was a big deal for a lot of people.
“Hence, training people also to speak, organise their thoughts and desires in the way they can communicate in public was therefore not a tough choice for me. My parents and siblings allowed me express myself. I am number seven of nine children and, as much as they would always want me to speak with respect and empathy, nobody ever stopped me from speaking. They allowed me express myself. I think this really helped shaped how and why I chose to be a speaker.”
She noted that as a politician and a woman in governance and leadership, she would always speak on behalf of her people, speak on growth, development and so much more. “I believe the atmosphere in which I grew up greatly informed my career path, which has all culminated to this point of me being in the leadership space, where I have to use my voice for the good of my country.”
On her sojourn to politics, Daniels said, “everything has prepared me for politics because I have always been of the opinion that politics is a daily way of life for everyone. Politics is required in business, education and life in general. You take charge and control of things via politics every day. Even determining how you choose what you wear to work could be political. So, everything in life has prepared me for it.
“Coming into the political space, I read books by people who have served in different spheres in governance, policy making and politics and I learnt from their stories. I was a fellow of the ElectHer Future Lawmakers Programme, pioneer cohort to prepare us for governance. I have attended the School of Politics Policy and Governance, (SPPG). I have political mentors, people I seek counsel from. We are constantly learning and so, I don’t know that there is ever a one hundred percent state of being prepared for anything including politics, but we get in and we get better as we stay doing what we should be doing.”
On challenges encountered, she stressed, “I like to be very clear that there is nothing new and nothing that only pertains to politics. Challenges include not knowing enough, so you continue to ask questions. It could also be funding the drive to mobilise and reach people, which is also one of the challenges involved in business.
So, it is not peculiar to politics alone. To surmount that, I engage in personal savings and also reach out to family, friends and partners; people who believe in the cause, and are willing, able and ready to support the cause through not only finance, but other types of interventions.
“Other challenges that I might encounter would be dealing and working with people who have different interests. That again is not peculiar only to politics. How do I get around this, by constantly seeking the right counsel, advice and knowing who I am, what my values are, what I stand for, where I am headed and knowing where to draw the line with respect to those parties involved and ultimately just trusting God for his protection and his guidance. That I think is a go-to because God will always show us the way to surmount any challenge we encounter, but of course I must be prepared with the right knowledge and wisdom to take action.”
The renowned MC said that she hopes that women stop seeing themselves as victims only and start seeing themselves as solution providers. “Solution providers to the challenges in every sphere of life, be it business, politics, governance, science, technology, education, entertainment, arts, maths, everything; see ourselves as solution providers always. I would love us to understand our place as different types of leaders, not necessarily better. I personally do not believe that women are better leaders. I believe that women are different leaders and the combination of the difference between how we lead and how men lead is necessary, this is where the balance comes in.
“Where we have different types of leadership, we can draw strength from both types. Then again, it is not only Nigerian women I will want to see do these things differently, I would also like to see Nigerian men not being threatened by the difference in the leadership style of women, but rather to embrace it for the betterment of the entire community and the entire society as a whole.”
