Grace Yila Maikano, from Gombe State, has made history as the first Nigerian to win the Toastmasters International Speech Contest Championship. In this interview with SPEAR NEWS’ Beatrice Gondyi, she shares her journey to victory.
Tell us about your background
My name is Grace Yila Maikano, I am Tangale by tribe from Gombe State, North East Nigeria. I am a member of Toastmasters International. I joined Toastmasters in the year 20203, I have been a member ever since. For work I work with family health advocate initiative, it is a non profit organisation that is locally based in Nigeria, specifically in Kaduna state. I work as their program officer, aside working with them, I anchor events. I joined Toastmasters because I wanted to improve on my communication and leadership skills. I knew that I still had more to learn, to communicate better in front of an audience.
How
The first time I heard about Toastmasters was in 2019. My friend who was a Toastmaster by then already was encouraging me to join Toastmasters, I asked her what are we toasting to and she was like it’s a speaking and leadership and communication organisation, that you learn to improve your speaking in front of an audience, and then you will be mentored and giving feedback every level of your learning. When she told me I felt I was already good in speaking so I didn’t see the need, but in 2021 I went for one of their meetings physically and I saw that it was beyond just communication. I didn’t join that year but in 2023, I heard one of the toastmasters speak and as she was speaking she mentioned that she is into IT and communication and I’m like you’re into IT and communication and you’re still joining into leadership and communication why but then she said that she can be better, so that was the it for me. The moment I heard her I just called my friend and told her I’m joining today, she was surprised and I joined. It was the improvement, it was the method of improving. The environment that you are giving constructive feedback. You not are criticised but you are given constructive feedback to the wealth of resources that you get there, the network of people that you get there. Those were the reasons why I joined Toastmasters.
What inspired your topic?
My topic was ‘My Village People’
Why? You will agree with me that we have always had this notion that “our Village people” are evil and do not mean well for us. And there is the saying “It takes an entire village to raise a child” … so i wanted us to really look at the phrase and come to a set conclusion that, the mindset we have carried about “the village people” is not correct. And for us all to change our understanding about them.
What was your edge over other contestants?
Edge? That is a tricky question. I will share briefly what my journey is. At Toastmasters International, every year there is the international speaking contest and is done internationally in every of the club. Toastmaster International is in 144 countries and it is over 100 years, this 2025 will be 101 years old. One of the criteria it uses for Public speaking is contest, is you being able to come together and compete in speaking, you compete in table topics. Table topics is when you are asked a question randomly on the spot and you are asked to respond to it in one to two minutes. Then the prepared speeches is when you go by yourself, you pick a topic that resonates with you, either an experience or something that you want to share and then you plan and you prepare towards it in five to ten minutes. There is table topics, there is international speech contest, there is also the evaluation contest. Every single district, district comprises of about 12 countries or more depending how large, how many clubs we have in that country. Districts are like regions in different continents. Every single year, the contest is done to improve people speaking skills and just and just makes you to do better than you were yesterday. You start from the club level, at the club level, the contest is organised and you compete, if you win, the first two people goes to the area level, the area level usually comprises four clubs that form up an area. The winner from this 4 different clubs come together and then you compete at that level. When you win from that area level, you now move to the division. Now the division is what I just won, so I’m moving to the district level God willing. What gives me the edge I would say that each and everyone of us put in our best. What I would say I did better was I consistently practised. One of my mentors said that within the final week before I present my speech, I should practice a minimum of a thousand times and this is the 5 to 7 minutes. If you are to practice it literally means that every single day you will need to practice like a hundred times.
How many hours do you have in a day?
It seemed impossible but it shows how far you have to go and what you are aiming at. I said I will give in my best anytime I am given the opportunity to speak. We had reading sessions, we will read my speech, check everything. Check the originality of the speech. With my eyes closed I will practice, it was very tedious, it was almost doing nothing else but being conscious of everything, and then I had a super supportive family, very supportive family. I had family support, I had prayer support, I can not downplay the place of prayer. With the prayers, with the support then, I put in everything. The best of the best of me was what I poured out that stage, I gave it my best shot.
What Challenge did you face to be the champion?
For me the challenge was, I was scared at some point. I was really scared. It is not that I could not talk, it was not the talking, it was the fact that I have come this far, there are so many people believing and trusting that I can do this. The way they believe is even more than me. I know that I have been talking. Talking is different, this one is competition, it is going on stage, it is ensuring that whatever you are wearing also align to what you speak. Another challenge my mind was at different places I felt I had not practised enough at a point in time. I will sit down with a speech and I will feel I need to change something.
How do you balance family and work, planning, having schedules, and to-do list?
I know the time that works demands from me, and I ensure I give in my best within that scheduled time. Family (my mom and siblings and my friends) have always been supportive. They understand the work demand and other commitments I have. I ensure that as I plan, I include family time, friends time, and rest time, too. There are times that one may have to sacrifice the other, but each of them have a specific place in my life
Hobbies?
Speaking, singing, reading, travelling, writing, moderating events (online and physical), and taking long walks.
Your 10 years projection ?
For the next 10 years God willing, in the next couple of months, I will be the first Nigerian that will be winning the international public speaking champion. That is the first thing I’m working towards now, 2025 public speaking champion will be Grace Yila Maikano. I have 3 more stages to that stage.
Your advice to upcoming Toastmasters?
Toastmasters International is a place to be. It is a safe space for learning to speak, communicate better, and lead. You will be mentored, you will have enough resources to work with, and you will be in a network of phenomenal people globally. If you can not stand and speak in front of people or express yourself, come and join us. If you desire to improve your speaking and communication skills, come and join. If you desire to be a better leader and understand human work ethics better, Toastmasters is the place to be.
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