The Youth Lobby Group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) successfully held its South West Youth Festival in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last weekend. Assistant Editor ‘Dare Odufowokan, was at the event that attracted young Nigerians from across the country.
IBADAN, the capital city of Oyo state, came alive last Saturday when the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Lobby Group held it’s much publicized South West Youth Festival. The event which was held at the Liberty Stadium, according to the organizers, featured “sensitization, mobilization and galvanization of young Nigerians towards being more politically active ahead of the 2023 general elections in the country.
The festival also featured N10million raffle draw, cultural display, exhibitions and several competitions among participating youths. Several top rated musicians and performers graced the occasion that attracted not less than 30, 000 youths to the ancient city from the six states I the geopolitical zone with notable youth leaders within and outside the ruling APC making speeches at the event. “We also had youths from Kwara and Kogi state in attendance,” a source claimed.
Speakers and participants at the festival, organised the APC Youth Lobby Group in the office of the APC National Youth Leader, Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, used the opportunity of the gathering to urge more young people to contest for political offices starting from the party convention and the 2023 general elections. Specifically, Ahmed and other APC Youth leaders at the festival canvassed the youths to support the party in 2023.
The event also afforded some young Nigerians who aren’t politicians the opportunity to share their worries about the state of things in the country and seek ways forward from fellow youths who are active in politics. According to Lanre Oyegbola, Chairman of the Media Sub Committee for the festival, “this is an avenue to rub minds about the Nigerian Project. Many young Nigerians have many questions they needed answers for. This is an avenue for them.”
Amidst dancing and merry making, the youths discussed topical national issues and proffered solutions to many of them. They also took positions on several issues like insecurity, unemployment, party politics and others. The festival attracted youths from all walks of life including stakeholders in the organized private sector, Diaspora, entertainment industry, tertiary institutions, Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), religious bodies and numerous other sectors.
“This historic festival is a platform for the youth to come together to chart a new course in national politics and development,” Oyegbola said. “One major thing we are here to do is to galvanise Nigerian youths to vie for and assume political positions going forward. This is just as we seek their continued support for the ruling APC. The turnout is a con formation of our belief that young Nigerians are desirous of a better place to call their country,” he added.
Beside the APC National Youth Leader, Ahmed and Oyegbola, other notable Youth Leaders and influencers who spoke at the festival include Deputy National Youth Leader of the APC, Hon. Afeez Bolaji Repete, member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Abiola-Peller, renowned marketing communications expert, Abisoye Fagade, Kabir Aregbesola, Hon. Seyi Adisa, Prince Poju Akintayo, Aderinsola Abiola, and many others.
In his address to young Nigerians at the festival, Ahmed said the event was one of the numerous initiatives being organised to strategically advocate consideration for young people and placing them in the political leadership of the country. According to him, the leadership of the ruling APC is very concerned about young Nigerians and interested in seeing them participate more in politics and governance at all levels across the country.
The APC chieftain added that the initiative is actually a bold step towards energizing and empowering young people to take ownership of their political future by contesting for leadership positions and organising more effectively for progressive reforms through a mainstream party. According to him, youths need to get involved in the internal politics of the mainstream political parties if they are to participate in governance.
”The goal is to build a young people’s political movement that will set the agenda and hold the next president accountable for the benefit of the millions of young people that make the majority of our country. The hosting of this festival by the South West Progressive Youth is an initiative for championing a new type of politics for good governance, and to advocate for the needed level-playing ground for the younger generation to flourish and for Nigeria to achieve its true potential,” he said.
Repete, who expressed satisfaction with the turnout of participants at the event, said going forward, the plan of action of the Lobby Group for success would include doing things differently by adopting innovative approach to their activities such as organisation, mobilisation, funding advocacy, training and problems-solving in particular development issues peculiar to Nigeria. “We have heard from the youth and we will do things differently,” he told The Nation.
Hon. SAbiola-Peller, while addressing the participants, urged them to be more committed to the task of finding solutions to the country’s challenges. He commended the APC Youth Leaders and the Lobby Group for taking the initiative to glavanise young Nigerians politically. “The time is now for the youths of the country to assume leadership positions in the country and to negotiate a better deal for themselves regardless of whoever emerges as the presidential candidate of the party,” he said.
Oyegbola applauded Nigerian youths for their readiness to take charge of their own future adding that youths played vital roles in the sustenance of Nigeria’s nascent democracy and as such, must take leading positions in local and national politics. “The APC youth festival is the collective efforts of APC youths from the South West geo-political zone and across factions of the APC. Our conviction is that the time is now for the youths to take their rightful position in national politics and leadership.
“So, as youths, we aim to use this opportunity to gather under one roof to network and develop a roadmap for youth inclusiveness ahead of the 2023 general elections. I urge Nigerians to support this noble cause by the youth. I am impressed by Nigerian youths for their readiness to take charge of their own future. Youths played vital roles in the sustenance of Nigeria’s nascent democracy and as such, must take leading positions in local and national politics,” he said.
Among entertainers who perfor4med at the festival were hip-hop music’s rave of the moment and Zazzu crooner, Portable, Fuji musician, Saheed Osupa, Airboy and many others. A host of Nollywood artists and other celebrities also graced the occasion to add colour to the festival. Organizers of the event pledged that, going forward, they will utilize all the suggestions and demands of young Nigerians at the festival in their quest for a better country.
In a related development youths leaders within the ruling APC in the southwest zone, have asked to be given more opportunities and responsibilities to serve the party and the nation at large. The APC Zonal Youth Leader in the zone, Kolade Lawal, made the call while hosting a workshop with the theme: ‘Unleashing the Potential of Youth Leadership.” The workshop was for newly elected State youth leaders, Deputy State Youth Leaders and Senatorial Youth Leaders.
“It is the aggregate of the productive capacities of our youths that will determine where Nigeria will be among nations of the world. Therefore, the youths have their role to play while the country also has its overall role to play. There is need for the nation to renew its commitment towards the development of the capacity of her youths because the youth is the foundation of positive and negative picture of any society.
“The energies, inventiveness, character and orientation define the pace of development and security of a nation. And through the creative talents and labour-power of the youth, a nation can make giant strides in economic development and socio-political attainments. The APC has made a lot of significant progress within the few years it took the leadership of the country, but the party will obviously do better if it utilizes more of the energy and vibrancy of the youths.
“We need to work on a perfect blend of the use of the wisdom of the elderly and the strength of the youth. There are still lots of works to be done to take Nigeria to that promise land. These works require great technical skills and we must equip ourselves as youths who are the strength of the nation. We demand to be given more opportunities to serve and we must ensure that we deliver at every opportunity,” he said.