Calabar, Nigeria

Here is what I have been able to learn about my CSC assignment destination of Calabar.

Location -- Calabar is a city in the southeast of Nigeria and is watered by the Calabar River and Great Qua Rivers and creeks of the Cross River (from its inland delta). It is the capital of the Cross River State and has an estimated population of 1.2 million residents. It is placed at a distance of 8 kms upstream from the entrance of the river into the Cross River waters.

Weather -- The city of Calabar has the highest amount of rainfall in Nigeria and the weather remains more or less the same throughout the year. Typical forecast:



Economy -- Calabar trades in fish, cassava, bananas and palm. As far back as the 16th century, Calabar had been a recognized international sea port, shipping out goods such as palm oil. The town is also home to a major university and one of the prominent tourist destinations in Nigeria.

Food -- Lots of fresh fish, rice, chicken (apparently fried in palm oil), yams, and soup.

So what is the CSC?

The Corporate Service Corps (CSC) is one of the signature components of IBM's Global Citizen's Portfolio, announced by CEO Sam Palmisano in July 2007, that provides IBMers with opportunities to acquire global leadership skills and to develop as a global corporate citizen in today's changing world.

CSC projects address the world's most challenging societal, environmental and educational issues. Working in diverse, multi-national teams of 8-10 people, IBMers have provided in-depth business and IT consulting support to clients in strategic emerging markets such as Romania, the Philippines, Ghana, Tanzania, and Vietnam. Clients include entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and governmental agencies.

Since the official launch in July, 2008 the CSC has deployed 300 IBM employees from 44 countries on 29 teams to 9 countries. Projects vary from assisting networks of entrepreneurs and small businesses trying to grow to the utilization of information technology by communities left behind the "digital divide."

The Corporate Services Corps provides a triple benefit. IBM gains leaders with a broader range of skills that can function in a global context. The individual gets is a unique set of leadership opportunities and development experiences. And communities get IBM's best problem solving skills.