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Tag: youth development

  • Why Fed Govt should support early childhood, youth work Professionalism, by Omotosho

    Why Fed Govt should support early childhood, youth work Professionalism, by Omotosho

    The President of Leadership Institute for Youth and Early-Childhood Management Professionals (L.Y.M.P) Dr Bolarinwa Omotosho has appealed to the Federal Government to support early childhood and youth development efforts in Nigeria. 

    He spoke at a one-day summit for Early Childhood and Youth Development Professionals (SYDP), with the theme: “Early childhood and youth work professionalism, now and beyond: Trends, challenges & opportunities” in Lagos. 

    Omotosho, an eminent peace ambassador, a veteran youth worker with over 34 years’ experience and multifaceted professional, said the support become necessary because of the youth population in the nation. 

    According to him: “Nigeria has a significant young population, and investing in its development can yield demographic dividends. Recognising early childhood and youth work can lead to improved education outcomes, better equipping them to compete globally. 

    “Investing in youth development can enhance productivity, driving economic growth and national development. Early childhood and youth work can help reduce poverty by providing skills and opportunities for young people. 

    “Recognising early childhood and youth work can lead to improved health outcomes, including mental health and well-being of young people. Investing in youth work development can promote social cohesion, reducing conflicts and promoting national unity among young people. 

    “Recognising early childhood and youth work can help Nigeria become more globally competitive, attracting investments and talent. 

    “Recognising early childhood and youth work, promoting professional ethical leadership, and helping address challenges facing young people, including unemployment, violence, and enhanced nation-building.”

    The summit attracted over 70 participants from various non-governmental organisations and institutions across Nigeria, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration.

    The summit also incorporated pre-membership induction awareness of The Leadership Institute for Youth and Early Childhood Management Professionals (L.Y.M.P.), as well as capacity-building leadership training for early childhood managers and youth workers. 

    Read Also: ‘Laws should prioritise youth development, job creation ‘

    Among the participants were youth workers, teenage workers and child workers from various professional backgrounds. 

    There were also Individuals from diverse fields, including educationists, lawyers, NGOs representatives, medical practitioners, law enforcement agents, military personnel, faith-based organisations, social workers, psychologists/sociologists, theologians, clerics, and government functionaries.

    The summit empowered professionals through thought-provoking keynote addresses, engaging breakout session discussions, and a lecture series that aimed to empower professionals, foster networking, and ignite meaningful conversations, shaping the future of Early Childhood Management and Youth Work in Nigeria, unlocking the full potential of this professionalism in Nigeria.

    The summit analyzed up to twenty specialised fields of early childhood management and youth work that cater to the unique needs and challenges of children and youth. 

    The specialisation of these fields works together to provide holistic support for children and youth, laying the foundation for their future success and well-being.

    The summit examined current trends, challenges, and opportunities in early childhood management and youth work globally, comparing them to the situation in Nigeria, not to diminish value but to enhance performance and productivity in Early Childhood and Youth Work Professionalism.

    Despite challenges faced by early childhood management and youth workers in Nigeria, opportunities for growth and development exist. The landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by rising demand for quality education, research, and professionalism, alongside increased government recognition.

    Founder, Golden Oasis Spring Foundation, Abiodun Adeleke, said: “All glory to God for a successful and impactful summit. I envision L.Y.M.P. accomplishing remarkable milestones in the next five years.”

    Another participant Fagbohun Yetunde Islamist said: “I have been attending conferences and summits, but I have not experienced an impactful breakout session like this before. I am really looking forward to more training.” 

  • 60th Founders’ Day Anniversary: Ogun Commissioner stresses importance of sports in youth development

    60th Founders’ Day Anniversary: Ogun Commissioner stresses importance of sports in youth development

    As Ogun State prepares to host the 22nd   National Sports Festival, the State Commissioner for Sports Development, Wasiu Isiaka, has reiterated the importance of sports in youth development and nation-building.

    The National Sports Festival, which is expected to bring together athletes from across the country, will be a showcase of Nigeria’s sporting talents and a celebration of unity, friendship, and healthy competition. The festival will feature various sports, including track and field, swimming, and basketball.

    Speaking at the 60th  Founders’ Day Anniversary celebration of Remo Divisional School Sagamu, Isiaka emphasised the significance of hosting the festival, stating: “This festival represents much more than just track and field competitions: it signifies our determination to create a robust sports ecosystem throughout Ogun State.”

    He noted that the state government’s commitment to youth and sports development is evident in various initiatives aimed at engaging young people.

    Read Also: Group demands 25% budgetary allocation for youth development

    “We recognise that sports play a critical role in building character, fostering teamwork, and nurturing future leaders,” he explained.

    Isiaka also commended the alumni of Remo Divisional School for their contributions to the institution and the community, saying, “Your commitment to giving back to your roots not only enriches our community but also positively impacts society and our government. Your contributions are invaluable and serve as a testament to the strong foundation that this institution has established over the years.”

    The commissioner urged the current students of Remo Divisional School to take advantage of the resources available to them, including sports, to become well-rounded individuals and responsible citizens.

    “Learn not just from your textbooks, but from your involvement in activities like sports, the arts, and community service,” he said. “These experiences will help shape you into well-rounded individuals and responsible citizens.”

  • Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea to sign youth development agreement

    Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea to sign youth development agreement

    The Minister of Youth, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, has stated Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea are finalising an agreement aimed at promoting youth development and collaboration between the two countries.

    Speaking to journalists in Malabo, Bio-Ibrahim stated that the treaty, to be finalised later this year, will focus on areas such as peer learning, skills development, and transfer. 

    The agreement will also explore the possibility of Equatorial Guinea adopting Nigeria’s National Youth Service (NYSC) initiative.

    The Minister highlighted that the treaty will provide opportunities for Nigerian youth to produce commodities for Equatorial Guinea, leveraging the country’s larger population. 

    The agreement will also support collaboration in sectors such as furniture production, agro-forestry, fashion, and garment, as well as other cash crops.

    “Well, the purpose of this trip, of coming with Mr. President on this trip to Equatorial Guinea was to explore areas of youth development with our Equatorial Guinean counterparts and we’re in the process of arriving at an agreement on youth development with my counterpart, which we will be finalizing by the Joint Commission, which comes up later this year.

    Read Also: Tinubu appoints mandate secretary for FCTA Youth Development Secretariat

    “From Mr. President speech at several of our engagements, several bilateral engagements, he has clearly stated his commitment to collaborating with other African leaders to ensure that we harness the youth demography, the bulge of young people in Africa, towards transformational economic development of the continent and that it’s only when we’re strong as a continent and all the leaders come together that we can harness the potential of our young people across the continent,” she said.

    Bio-Ibrahim emphasised President Tinubu’s commitment to collaborating with African leaders to harness the continent’s youth demographic for transformational economic development. 

     “Well, I cannot say, 100% right now, because it is not finalized. So it will be, I will just give you a few of the points that we’ve been mutually agreed upon and well areas of like the National Youth Service called the NYSC, they’re considering collaboration, seeing how we can actually engage in peer learning, to see that for a possibility of actually adopting that initiative and areas of skills development and transfer as well. 

    “We want to see, even though Equatorial Guinea  is not a country as populous as Nigeria, we want to also see how we can support collaborate by producing, channeling some of our youth population to be producing commodities for equatorial Guinea across various sectors and then  you are aware that through the presidential initiative on youth enterprise clusters. 

    “We’re working to ensure that we develop our furniture value chain through agro-forestry, and, of course, the fashion and garment sector as well, and other cash crop sectors as well. And this is a very viable economy for that kind of collaboration,” she said.

  • Enriching lives through youth development

    This year, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimated the population of the country to be about 184 million. This huge figure makes Nigeria the country with the largest population on the African continent and the world’s seventh most populous country. Figures released by the NBS last year put the country’s youth unemployment rate at 13.41 percent. This year’s figures are likely to have grown and will continue to grow if drastic measures are not taken to arrest the trend.

    The soaring rate of youth unemployment, expectedly, is a source of concern for government and every Nigerian. Unemployment is a major cause of insecurity in addition to a plethora of other societal challenges, some of which have debilitating consequences.

    The prevalent view is that government, all by itself, cannot successfully address the challenge of youth employment, especially now that the economic climate is inclement. Government and experts have frequently called on corporate bodies to assist the government by developing initiatives targeted at making the country’s young people gainfully employed and useful to the society. The call has been answered by some corporate bodies through development of various youth empowerment programmes as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility interventions. These programmes have attracted the attention and recognition of both the government and various professional bodies.

    One of such recognition platforms is the just concluded BrandPower Golden Icons Awards, which seeks to recognize and celebrate brands that have contributed to the development of the country. At the awards ceremony, which held in Lagos on 9 November, MultiChoice emerged winner of the Youth Empowerment through Access to Information Award.

    On reflection, I realized that not many corporate bodies in the country see entertainment as a means of youth empowerment. MultiChoice Nigeria, however, stands out as one. Through its DStv and GOtv platforms, MultiChoice has positioned itself an authentic voice and credible platform of expression for young Nigerians as well as one that offers them a way out of the grip of socio-economic challenges.

    In his keynote address at the ceremony, entitled “Winning strategies for customer winning brands of the future”, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe, listed four crucial conditions for building a winning brand. These, he said, are consistency, commitment, authenticity and trust.

    He further explained that for over two decades, MultiChoice Nigeria has provided its customers with quality local content that has resonated across the continent. And in a brief chat with Ugbe after his address, I discovered that in 2014 alone, MultiChoice Nigeria contributed N34 billion to the country’s GDP.

    Read also: Bode George to youths: Don’t repeat mistakes of the past

    In the area of youth employment, MultiChoice through its GOtv Sabimen scheme, which provides participants with training in the rudiments of service activation, response to customer enquiries and resolution of issues on GOtv, has empowered over 5,000 young Nigerians and more than 10,000 dealers, retailers, installers and sales agents.

    In the area of education, MultiChoice has furnished schools across the country with over 400 MultiChoice Resource Centers (MRCs). The centers are designed to grant beneficiary public schools access to the special MultiChoice Education Bouquet with the aim of integrating the programmes into the school curriculum to further enhance the teaching and learning processes in the classrooms.

    Nollywood continues to feel the positive impact of MultiChoice. With the eight outstanding channels of Africa Magic, thousands of young Nigerians have been directly and indirectly employed to be in front of or behind the camera in many Africa Magic productions such as Tinsel, The Johnsons and Jara.

    The Youth Empowerment through Access to Information award, which MultiChoice Nigeria won, is indeed a true attestation to several youth empowerment schemes the organization has initiated and an uncomplicated indication of that MultiChoice is committed to enriching the lives of Nigerian youth.

  • Ecobank supports youth development

    The organisers of Okpekpe International 10 km Road Race, Pamodzi Sports Marketing, have praised the support of Ecobank Nigeria to the competition, saying the lender has contributed immensely to the huge success recorded in the race.

    Speaking during this year’s edition of the Road Race in Okpekpe, Edo State at the weekend, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,  Pamodzi Sports Marketing, Mike Itemuagbor said the lender has demonstrated that it is a firm supporter of youth and sports development in the continent, and Nigeria in particular.

    He stressed that the competition is attracting athletes from all over the continent. He used the opportunity to call on other corporate organisations in the country to support sports development initiatives.

    “We commend Ecobank for partnering with us over the years in organising this race. It is engendering healthy competition among Africa youths. We wish to implore other corporate organizations to emulate Ecobank and support sports development initiatives,” he said.

    Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie reaffirmed the bank’s support for the Road Race. Represented by Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Akin Dada, he noted that the objective of the organisers of the Race matches that of Ecobank and assured stakeholders that the Bank will continue to throw its weight behind the race as its Official Bank.

    “I want to use this opportunity to state here that Ecobank fully endorse this competition and will like to assure you that we will continue to be associated with the Okpekpe International Road Race,” he said.

    He commended the organisers for the elevation of the race by IAAF to a silver label status, stressed that the competition brings together men and women from various parts of the world.

  • Filmmaker challenges govt on youth development

    Veteran filmmaker, Adebayo Adetoro has called on those with the federal government and well-meaning Nigerians to rescue the country and its youths from mismanagement.

    According to Adetoro, the young people of Nigeria have demonstrated enough capacity for success in many sectors of the economy, and therefore need the government’s genuine effort to make them contribute their quota to the nation’s development.

    Adetoro, who is a project director of ‘The Quiet Storm’ said that the time to engage the youths meaningfully is now.

    “The youths are brilliant but need support and an enabling environment to exhibit their huge potentials. If the political class continues to ignore the youths, the future portends a very great danger. If the youths are not positively engaged they become a problem to the society. It is like we are sitting on keg of gun powder that could explode when we least expect it,” he said.

    Speaking on the film which is still in the works, Adetoro said that it is the story of a family living abroad whose breadwinner was duped a group of young fellows when they relocated to Nigeria to invest in the economy and support the nation’s growth.

    The UK-based filmmaker lamented that fraudulent activities are damaging the image of the country and make genuine business difficult for good Nigerians to be transacted with foreigners.

    He, therefore, advised the government to show strong political will by ensuring that the youths are engaged economically rather than indulging in financial crimes as a means of survival.

    Also speaking, Producer of the flick, Michael Opeyemi Adeyemi, disclosed that the film, which is being shot with a N15 million budget, would teach moral lessons of need for hard work, integrity and honesty to succeed in life.

    He said the film was meant to nudge those in authorities to be alive to their responsibilities when formulating and implementing government policies and programmes.

  • Youth development: Mauritius’ group partners Nigerians

    Youth development: Mauritius’ group partners Nigerians

    MJ Development Group,  a Mauritius-based property development company, owners of Marguery Exclusive Villas and Conciergery and Resorts, has expressed their willingness to enter into the Nigerian market to open Mauritius to Nigerians for business, leisure and  also partner  NGOs to support programmes that would impact positively on the Nigerian youths.

    On the business level, Nigerians would have the opportunity to visit Mauritius for both leisure and business and the company, through its partners, Art-Alive, would be able to positively impact on the less-privileged within the Nigerian society.  Art-Alive is an initiative of a Nigerian based artist, Mr. Lanre Olagoke.

    The MJ, would through the initiative, open doors for art works from obscure budding artists from Nigeria to have their works displayed in the company’s A-list properties. This would not only offer them income through sales, but exposure to a wider appreciative audience.

    Speaking on the activities of the MJ Development in Nigeria, Lanre Olagoke, founder of Art-Alive, talked about the project: “ My meeting with our foreign visitors was through the arts. Michael Ruel, the CEO of MJ Development met with me after he invited me to Mauritius. They are interested in my NGO; they are hoping to see how they can support the youth of Art-Alive because they have similar things they support in Mauritius.

    “The Island of Mauritius is one of the most attractive tourism destinations around the world. MJ Development is a major player in Mauritius Island’s tourism sector with the company’s property investments. A few days ago, Ruel, in promoting inter-relation tourism with Nigeria, met with some select businessmen in Lagos. The aim of the meeting was to promote the attractive houses in Mauritius as well as see how MJ can invest in Nigeria in the future.

    Also being their first time in this part of Africa, it was a step of faith and risk. As an ambassador of my country, Nigeria, where ever I go, I put the flag up for my beloved Nigeria.

    “ Ruel and his team didn’t listen to any negative thing that was said about Nigeria and they came here. They are going to introduce my charity to the association of property developers in France. They  know about the potential Nigeria has and ready to do business in Nigeria and Mauritius! It’s a new venture and I am just  hearts and positive about my beloved country, Nigeria,  building a relationship that will be an indelible print in their heart.”

    Lanre said in addition to his work with MJ Group, he is also partnering the Ogun State government in the area of youth skills acquisition: “The good thing is that I am talking to the Ogun State government to work with the locals and give skills to young people in Asero. We are working with local artists and we decided to teach them adire making. The whole idea of Art-Alive is to set up an academy that will impart skills  on the less-privileged and give them purposeful life.”

    Richard Vessot, the group’s Manager for the United Kingdom (UK) and Africa, said the partnership in Nigeria would be more work of art from Art-Alive in the company’s development just like “what they are doing in Mauritius”.

    He said: “Our idea is to promote Lanre’s group’s works on our projects.”

    Currently, the annual traffic of Nigerians to Mauritius is put at about 2000. With the promotion of business relationship by MJ, the group hopes that the volume of traffic and business between the two country will increase.

    According to the company, incentives such as Mauritius being one of the safest place for investments and the country ranked among the top 10 in the world in terms of peace and economic success, with  investment-friendly regulations and some of the things investors from Nigeria would enjoy.

  • ‘Key into Aregbesola’s vision for youth development’

    ‘Key into Aregbesola’s vision for youth development’

    The Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Information and Strategy Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, has urged the newly installed Asiwaju Odo of Iwo and former Acting Vice Chancellor of the Osun State University, Prof Jeleel Oguntola Alamu, to key into the youth development agenda of the Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    Okanlawon spoke at the weekend in Iwo during the installation of Alamu as the Asiwaju Odo of the ancient town by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi.

    The governor’s aide reminded the new chief, a Professor of Physics, of many strategies the Aregbesola administration had adopted for youths development.

    He said this was the reason Osun was recognised as the state with the lowest crime rate in Nigeria.

    Okanlawon said: “With the choice of a young, vibrant academic, the Oluwo has spoken eloquently on who should be the role models for our teeming youths.

    “Drug addicts cannot be our models. Fraudsters cannot be our models. Criminals in the society cannot be our models.”

    The special adviser said the Aregbesola administration had the best youth engagement formulae in Nigeria.

    He said: “This is why the World Bank was compelled to adopt the Osun model for the nation in its youth empowerment programme, called YESSO.”

  • Delta committed to peace, youth development, says Okowa

    Delta committed to peace, youth development, says Okowa

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has said his administration will continue to promote youth development.

    Okowa spoke when he received a delegation of youths, led by Mr Kenneth Okorie, chairman, Delta State Youth Council, yesterday in Asaba.

    Okorie led youths on a peace walk to mark the grand finale of the International Youth Week celebration.

    The governor, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr Tam Brisibe, said the government’s programmes and policies were tilted towards youth development.

    Okowa commended them for the peaceful manner they conducted their affairs while marking the week, assuring them that more youths would be considered for employment.

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has advised youth corps members to shun crimes during their service year in the state.

    Dickson spoke at the end of Batch ‘A’ Stream II Orientation Ceremony yesterday in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.

    The governor was represented by Serana Dokubo-Spiff, secretary to the state government and chairman, NYSC Governing Board.

    “As you proceed to the next stage of the service year, I urge you, while in your various places of your primary assignment to shun all forms of crime. Always ensure that the evil forces do not influence you as you perform the national service. Above all, always be security-conscious in your environment,” he said.

    Dickson congratulated them for completing the orientation programme, which he said, is the first in the four-phase programme.

     

     

     

     

  • Groups partner on youth development

    Groups partner on youth development

    Blaugrana Group International in partnership with WhiteHouse Group is developing platforms to attract over 1,000 youths for talent development.

    WhiteHouse Group President Mr. Austin Eruotor said the two groups were passionate about developing talents in all areas, especially for youths.

    “From our research, we have discovered that young people are becoming more interested in literature, music, arts and sports. Thus, we are coming together to help them live their dreams for the good of us all and the betterment of our society,” he said.

    At a breifing, FCBESCOLA, Lagos licensee, Mr. Leslie Oghomienor, said there was a need for the reorientation of the youth because some stars,  in entertainment, sports, academics and politics, failed to maximise their potential because of character deficits and attitudinal challenges.

    “As an employee and employer, I have seen very brilliant, intelligent and smart people, great talents and superstars who are nowhere because of their attitude, character and mindsets. In any area, the wealth of gifted talents in Nigeria is enormous. Our interest is in  helping our young people to become better and good leaders and respectable individuals by teaching them acceptable values based on global leadership ethics without compromising our cultural, spiritual and traditional norms and values,’ Oghomienor said.

    According to Eruotor, the first outing of the project is football competition scheduled for the third week of August in Lagos. It would be the take off point with over 1000 youths drawn from all the local government areas. Aside a gold trophy, there are cash prizes to be won ranging from N250,000, he said.

    The programmes will offer the participants the opportunity to display their skills, talents, knowledge and attitudes and they would be guided towards making sound life changing positive career/professional decisions, which will offer long-term benefits for them.

    Mr. Larry Kubeinje said it was a novel step in the right direction to help young people grow into worthy ambassadors of our great country Nigeria. “Developing the youth today, is guaranteeing a peaceful, stable, and viable Nigerian future,” he added.

    The project, designed to be a yearly event, would cater for youths below 17. The areas include Agege, Badagry, Aja, Epe, Makoko, Ajegunle, Mushin, Ikorodu, and Isale Eko.