By Robert Egbe
The Baywood Foundation has set up an internship scheme with a capacity to absorb over 200,000 African youths.
The scheme will, among others, provide innovative approaches towards addressing the challenges of young people, said Baywood Foundation founder, Chris Baywood Ibe.
Mr Ibe said the foundation would flag off the pilot phase in 2020 and that it will provide the seed capital to finance the project’s take-off.
He spoke in Lagos at the Baywood Foundation’s one-day consultative dialogue workshop on fostering new approaches to address the challenges of the African youth.
The theme of the workshop was ‘1 million by 2021: beyond rhetoric.’
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The 1 million by 2021 is an African Union initiative which aims to reach African youth with opportunities and interventions in the key areas of Employment, Entrepreneurship, Education and Engagement (4E’s), which will accelerate socioeconomic development on the continent.
Baywood Foundation is a key backer of the initiative.
Ibe, who was represented by his wife, Patricia, said Baywood Foundation is collaborating with the AU to provide an avenue for effective youth participation in governance, institutional transformation, peace building and conflict resolution, and effective stakeholder outreach within the continent.
He said: “Baywood Foundation, in support of African Union’s 1 million by 2021 initiative, which is set out to create direct opportunities for the development of the African Youth, has proposed a continental lauch of a youth intern and retain programme.”
“This pan-African initiative, which will seek greater opportunities for youth participation in governance and peacebuilding on a continental level was announced at a recent convening with the African Union in Addis Ababa.
“It is a multi-dimensional initiative that will not only create inclusive opportunities for youth but also develop their intrinsic capabilities for future leadership roles.”
He threw his weight behind a proposal for African heads of government to legislate the 30 per cent youth affirmative action and urged the AU to proclaim it as a matter of urgency.
The event featured presentations by speakers including Dubem Moghalu Esq, Nita George and
Isaac Jude Dahilo, among others.
Panellists at the occasion included the CEO of Sources Resources Logistics and Consultant, Prof Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, PIND Foundation, represented by Eze Ralph Esq, Director of Training at Institute of family system engineering and development Olubunmi Shonde
Other participants included not-for-profit organisations, students of tertiary institutions, primary and secondary school pupils, among others.
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