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Tag: youths

  • Invest in your development, youths told

    Corps members, students and other young people left the Mega Youth Conference organised by RISE Networks at the LTV8 Blue Roof, Ikeja, Lagos, energised about investing in their development.

    The participants learnt from the organisers, government officials, sponsors and other young entrepreneurs what they need to do to create safe spaces and opportunities for them to excel.

    The conference organised in commemoration of the International Youth Day featured presentations by various speakers, panel discussion as well as question and answer session.

    The programme was organsied in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Bottling Company.

    In her address, Founder, RISE Networks, Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, urged the youths to be responsible now so they can be good leaders in future.

    “Youth is a state of responsibility.  We don’t simply want to replace irresponsible, corrupt politicians with irresponsible, corrupt young people.  We want people of quality, character and competence.

    “Your PVC is the power that you have to be able to change the people you want to see in office,” he said.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in his speech delivered by the Secretary to the State government, Mr Tunji Bello, said the state recognised the challenge posed by having a large youth population and was making efforts to address it by empowering youths to start businesses with interest free loans, provision of work spaces, and the like.  By so doing, he said the state was creating safe spaces for youths in line with the United Nations theme for the World youth day.

    Also speaking, Managing Director of Nigerian Bottling Company, Mr. George Polymenakos who was represented by Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Mrs. Sade Morgan, with opportunities thrown up by technology, young people had no excuse not to fulfil their potential.

    “In the Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd and indeed, the entire Coca-Cola system, we believe in the power of young people. The theme of this year’s International Youth Day is ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’. Safe spaces motivate young people to engage in sports and leisure, governance issues and cross-border interactions, especially because of internet and digital penetration and convergence.

    “As a company, we will continue to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to youth development in unequivocal terms,” he said.

    Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Agboola Dabiri, Founder of Keresku Farms, Mr. Rotimi Williams, Founder of Flying Doctors, Dr. Ola Brown and Chief Executive Officer, Enyo Retail and Supply, Abayomi Awobokun, challenged the participants with their stories of success and challenges along the way of establishing their businesses.

    Awobokun said youths should not wait until all is done for them but contribute to the society by volunteering.

    “Instead of looking for help all the time, I contributed to the community.  I volunteered in hospitals, I farmed.  By so doing I am contributitng to safe spaces in Nigeria,” he said, urging them to do same.

    Rotimi Williams shared how he became a rice farmer of the second largest rice farm in Nigeria.  He shared his story of loss to flood and how he used his talent in arts to start again and make success out of his food prices data management system.

    “Whatever industry you have chosen, go for it.  As long as there is a want we should continue to create.  There is absolutely no excuse,” he said, adding that he was ready to employ 50 people as rice farmers on a N90,000 salary monthly.

    Dr Ola Brown used an analogy to challenge the youths to take opportunities before them by asking who wanted the 100 dollar bill she was holding.  The person bold enough to go to her and collect the bill got the money – explaining that that was how opportunity works.

  • 2019: Fight for political offices, Youths urged

    Youths in Ondo state have been charged to actively participate in politics and be part of stakeholders in the decision-making to overhaul the future of the country.

    The state chairman of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), Korede Duyile, gave the charge at the official declaration of a youth leader, Tajudeen Adefisoye for the seat of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in the 2019 election.

    Duyile said the masses were tired of voting the old set of people with the same ideology.

    The chairman said SDP was on ground and most people that had shown interest in various positions were from notable and credible families that were well known to him as an indigene of Idanre himself.

    Read Also: Youth Party removes barrier for aspiring youths

    He said “Our membership is already increasing in Idanre and in the state, more people are seeing our party as a credible platform,especially the youths, to fulfil their dreams”.

    Adefisoye, who is in his mid-thirties, said he decided to run on the platform of SDP, because it had plans to allow youths to seek political positions.

    Adefisoye said he decided to be part of the real change and liberate the people of Idanre and Ifedore by bringing meaningful development to the constituency.

    According to him,” I am already assured of victory,there is no development in this town, we can’t be sending same old men to be representing us always.”

    The Aspirant was later presented with the flag of the party and urged to continue promoting the party within and outside the state.

  • See how this country is stealing the youth of its Youths

    Sometime ago, I had the privilege to take a young man, no older than eighteen, to task on some of his country’s political policies which bordered on the treatment of a minority group in that country. As best, if not as testily, as he could, the young man defended the country with the excuse that the group refuses to budge from its old, tradition-soaked ways. I know many people who won’t budge from their tradition-soaked seats either, and no one dares ignore them such as our great grandpas and grandmas in politics.

    As I was saying, my interviewee had temporarily emigrated from his country just to meet and know someone in another country, that’s all. He was on a mission to satisfy his curiosity regarding the individual, his target. He met the person, stayed a while doing odd jobs for survival and then headed back home. He was on a pilgrimage to satisfy a longing in his soul.

    Now, no one can completely take care of all the longings on his/her soul, I grant, but sadly, it would appear that many Nigerians, particularly at the top, either do not have or have lost their souls. You know what they are, don’t you, souls I mean? They are those little things men and women carry around with them in the pockets of their shadows. You say shadows don’t have pockets?! I beg to differ.

    Anyway, let me tell you what happens when we lose our souls. Contrary to popular belief, we do not gain the whole world, we lose it. Secondly, you’re given a hefty bill when you sell your soul. I can give you so many examples of people who got the bill after losing their souls in exchange for the whole world. After a while, they realised they did not want the whole world, they just wanted their souls back. Nigerians are one big example.

    Nigerians constitute one classical group of the soulless. It’s only in Nigeria you can find someone who puts the nation’s billions of naira into his account like one crazy winner at a poker game, not to do anything in particular with it, but for the sheer pleasure of seeing it there. It’s only in Nigeria that old, tottering politicians would insist on staying in power to continue to wreak havoc on a hapless nation. It’s only in Nigeria that an ineffective government that is tall on excuses would insist on remaining in power so it can continue to make the people miserable. And it’s only in Nigeria that youths would be so beleaguered they have no youth to speak of.

    Nigeria is guilty of a lot of things, but the most heinous to me is still the fact that it has stolen the innocence of its youths. First, it forgets to draw up a programme of development for this group so that each one can find his/her solid identity as a Nigerian whichever part of the country he/she may come from.

    Next, the country’s adult population builds a large national nest of adults for youths to watch and copy, exhibiting the worst kinds of human behaviour anyone can possibly lay down for others to follow. These behaviour traits include lack of patriotism, murderous instincts, selfish soldiery, gingham-like patterns of recklessness and irresponsibility, unabashed selfishness, and other character traits for which names have not been invented.

    Then, the country steals the future of its own children. Imagine that. Because of the irresponsibility of this adult group, Nigerian youths now have anxiety syndromes over what may become of them in the country. How does it manifest? It manifests in the rabid dream of every Nigerian child to run to the United States of Heaven… sorry, America.

    Nigerian youths have no dreams regarding the country. They do not lie awake thinking of that age-old question: what can one do for one’s country? They cannot dream for the country because they have not been handed any tools to dream with: no good housing system, no credible transportation system, no affordable health system, no power generating system, and so many things. The average person is left struggling each day just to live. So, the youths do not dream for this country, they dream about leaving this country. This should make each of us look ourselves in the mirror and ask: how did I contribute to killing the ability of the Nigerian youth to dream?

    There is worse yet. Many youths there are who think that making money will solve the problem, and too many adults there are ready to teach them. The baffling thing is that many of them have no idea why they want to make money except that they have noticed that their papas and mamas worship at the foothill of money every day. They have seen too many adults in their environment listen to what the rich man says (that’s why they say money talks); consult the rich people in their lives (money is powerful); or obey what the rich man commands in the family (money knows all).

    Too many youths have seen that to bury any family member, people wait for the rich; chieftaincy titles go only to the rich; obaship succession chains change only for the rich; to take someone to the hospital, grown men wait for the rich in the family; and sometimes to eat, people go cap in hand to the rich. The youths have seen the fear in the eyes of their hapless parents and have found a solution: get rich quickly, even if it means participating in money-making rituals, armed robbery, kidnapping, or being apprenticed to a rich one by carrying and shooting his gun for him.

    Nigerian youths have been shown that it is no use having any youth if you do not have cash backing. So, they have taken to either running out of the country if they want to keep their souls or staying in the country and pursuing money into the hole (quick, cross yourself for those who lost their lives in the process) or by turning their family members into money. Somewhere in the east, a young man was said to have killed his mother as part of a money-making ritual, and somewhere in the west, a young man was said to have also killed his mother because he thought she was ‘behind’ the fact that he was not ‘progressing’ in life. Those who are not killing are either militants (north, south) or in one religious vanguard or the other. Oh yeah, they are also killing.

    Nigeria has turned her youths into ravenous wolves, hungry to consume all the money and blood they can find in their paths. In effect, the youths have lost the sanctity of what it means to be youths: the zest for knowledge, the beautiful experiences that define life in its purest form, or the search for the kind of associations that show the true meaning of existence.

    They have not been taught that real life does not lie in holding a gun or knife to a helpless person’s head, or in spraying walls or people with bullets, or in some mindless pursuit of bawdry. Nigeria must teach its youths that real life consists in the pursuit of happiness, love, beauty, innovations, progress and self-fulfilment in ways that are in complete harmony with nature. The country must teach its youths how to reach deep within themselves and bring out their talents to help the society. It is not too late. If it is never done, that is when it will be too late to restore the youth of its Youths.

     

    • A version of this article was first published in 2013 but because of its relevance it has been reproduced today.

  • Group empowers youths on skills acquisition

    Call to Love Initiative, a foundation focused on social development, has again demonstrated its commitment towards capacity building and empowerment of young ones by organising the second edition of its free Summer Camp for children, in Lagos recently. The highly engaging, impactful and exciting week-long training session was tagged: ‘Making a Difference with Education.’

    It provided a platform for pupils from low cost primary schools in Makoko, a suburb in Lagos, to learn various life impacting activities. The 112 beneficiaries underwent practical trainings in coding and robotics, vocational skills (such as sewing, bead-making, painting), entrepreneurship, leadership skills, etiquette, public speaking, team orientation and organisation skills facilitated by experts. This is aimed at effectively engaging and nurturing the young ones with requisite skills to enable them grow successfully through education.

    Speaking on this year’s Summer Camp, the Founder and Chief Executive of Call To Love Initiative, Mrs. Wunmi Benson-Ajia, explained that it provided a veritable platform and unique opportunity for stakeholders, such as mentors, teachers, technical and vocational education specialists to come together and create a learning environment which reforms the beneficiaries, and ensures a more wholesome education.

    According to her, “The ultimate goal of the Skills Summer Camp is to cultivate a pipeline of high-performing beneficiaries who will be provided with various mentorship and scholarship opportunities through the course of their education. It is worthy of note that prior to this year’s Summer Camp over 70 per cent of the children have never used a computer nor learned any vocational skills.’’

    Call to Love Initiative was founded in 2010 with a mission to enrich lives through social development. It supports under-privileged children by enhancing their access to impactful growth and balanced development and employing a targeted approach of interaction and delivery of projects that drive lasting solutions and contribute positively to transforming the development of beneficiaries.

    This year, the Summer Camp was made possible through the support of corporate partners like Oracle Academy which sponsored the Coding and Robotics classes by providing computers and training to the Camp facilitator; Nigerian Red Cross Society which provided the venue; Cadbury Nigeria which provided refreshments for the children; Biobak Kitchen which supported with provision of breakfast and lunch for all beneficiaries, Chutes and Ladders Limited which supported with renovation of the Camp Venue.

     

  • One killed as youths, motorcyclists clash

    A man identified as Toib Awolesi, 28, was yesterday killed and his body dumped inside a river after commercial motorcyclists and community youths clashed in Agboyi-Ketu Lagos.

    The incident occurred at Agboyi, a riverine community in Alapere.

    It was gathered that crisis started on Monday night after Awolesi, a generator repairer from across the river, was said to have bought a new motorcycle.

    It was learnt that the deceased on his way home, was stopped by commercial motorcycles, who pleaded to test drive the new bike.

    Having obliged the two, a third person was said to have come forward to also test drive but his request was turned down by Awolesi.

    Irked by his denial, other commercial motorcyclists there were said to have ganged up and beaten the young man, who ran to his village and mobilised his kinsmen.

    It was gathered that a fight ensued between the motorcyclists and Awolesi’s kinsmen, which led to the destruction of properties.

    Although calm was said to have returned Monday night, violence resumed yesterday afternoon after Awolesi’s body was found floating on the river.

    It was gathered that the community youths went berserk and razed several motorcycles belonging to the operators.

    A source who hinted on the incident said it took the intervention of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Area Commander, Ogudu, ACP Miller Dantawaye, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Alapere and their personnel to contain the situation.

    He said: “A generator repairer was killed and thrown into the river. His body was discovered floating by fishermen at around 2pm on Tuesday and this caused serious violence between the youths and motorcyclists.

    “He bought a bike and there was celebration. One of the riders, who tested it condemned the bike as not good and he lifted it up.

    “That caused trouble between Awolesi and some of the riders. People intervened and settled it on Saturday night. On Sunday, Awolesi and his friends, who were indigenes mobilised and attacked the riders.

    “The Baale was reported to have settled them but on Monday night, Awolesi was matcheted, tied to his back and thrown into the river.

    “This afternoon (Tuesday), fishermen saw his body floating and they drew the attention of the people to it. Youth mobilised and attacked the other group, who are predominantly motorcyclists.

    “The police were called in and they restored calm in the community. They also arrested four persons.”

    Police spokesman Chike Oti said 10 people have been arrested and were being interrogated.

    He said: “Our policemen moved to the scene to ensure normalcy. They have had meetings with the wearing factions on the need to live peaceably.

    “We have 10 suspects in out custody and I can assure you that the circumstances that led to the death of the young man would be unravelled. All those behind it would be brought to justice.”

     

  • Youths protest SNEPCo’s relocation of unit

    •Over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs may go

    More than 1,000 youths under the aegis of the Onne Youths Council (OYC) yesterday protested the movement of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo)’s Supply Base to Lagos.

    The firm is moving the Supply Base from the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers State.

    OYC President Philip John Tenwa leading protesters, said the planned relocation would lead to the loss of over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.

    They carried placards condemning the relocation and requested the authorities to intervene.

    He said: “We are here today on behalf of our numerous members and indeed the entire Onne Community to draw the attention of the Nigerian government and indeed the world to the plan by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) to relocate its Supply Base from the Onne Port to Lagos.

    “SNEPCo last week surreptitiously directed that all its property and equipment including turbines, engine spares and miscellaneous equipment spares be loaded into containers and moved out of the Onne Port, where it had operated for more than 20 years, to another port in Lagos.

    “This move by SNEPCo has serious and far-reaching implications for the Onne community and indeed the entire Rivers State. This is because SNEPCo, which is the operator of the Bonga field, at present, supports more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs at its Supply Base in Onne. There are also several small businesses and contractors whose businesses and fortunes are tied to SNEPCo,” he said.

    Tenwa noted the relocation will affect the economy of Rivers and Niger Delta region.

    “It will also put the means of livelihood of many families and the future of our children at risk as well as further swell the burgeoning unemployment market in the Niger Delta region.

    “SNEPCo suppliers and vendors are based in the communities around Onne and in the larger Niger Delta region. The suppliers and vendors deliver various items and supplies to the SNEPCo Supply Base in Onne. The planned relocation of the Supply Base to Lagos will directly affect not just the company’s staff but also these suppliers and vendors. It is also bound to affect the community staff working for SNEPCo,” the president said.

    He said while governments were working hard to ensure peace in Niger Delta, the relocation could jeopardise the peace enjoyed in the region.

    Protesting youths moved from the SNEPCo Supply Base to the palace of the monarch of Onne, King John Dennis Osaronu.

    King Osaronu commended the youth for their peaceful conduct and called on SNEPCo to rescind its decision to leave the community.

    “We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nyesom Wike and other well-meaning Nigerians to stop this move by SNEPCo,” he said.

     

  • 2019: Lagos APC unveils leadership programme for youths

    …says Its time for youths to have positive mindset about politics

    As the nation prepares for the 2019 general elections, the youth wing of the Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled a leadership conference to change the mindset of the youths to politics and governance.

    APC Youth Leader in the State, Mr Omotayo Sanyaolu, in a statement yesterday, said the leadership conference was part of activities lined up to celebrate the International Youth Day slated for August 12, 2018.

    He said the conference, with the theme, “Youths As Catalyst In National Development,” will take place on August 12, 2018 at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja by 11am prompt, adding that the principal objective of the programme was to equip youths with basic leadership skills as the country is set for a crucial electioneering process in 2019.

    According to Sanyaolu, “For us in the Lagos APC, we believe that it is time for the youths to have positive mindset about politics and governance and that is the main idea behind the conference. We have lined up great speakers across broad spectrum of the polity to share ideas and experiences with the youths with the focus to arouse their interest and participation in the political process.

    “This is a programme to mark the International Youth Day which falls on the 12th of August and we just decided to bring the youths together through a leadership conference to change their orientation to politics as well as their mindset to how the political terrain and arena looks like.

    “By the conference, we are also telling the youths of our readiness to give them a sense of belonging in the scheme of affairs,” Sanyaolu said.

    He added that about 3,000 youths drawn from tertiary, political and religious institutions as well as the civil society organizations in the State, among others are expected to participate at the conference.

    Speakers listed to address the conference include a Special Representative to the United Nations and strong advocate of the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Campaign in Africa, Dayo Israel; social entrepreneur and human development expert, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji; young eloquent politician and another strong advocate of ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Campaign, Temitope Adewale and vibrant members of Lagos State House of Assembly – Jimi Lai Mohammed and Moji Lawal Meranda.

    Others are Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mayor Dele Oshinowo; and Chairman of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, Hon Sesan Daini, while the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Hon Agboola Dabiri is to serve as Chief Host.

  • Youths demand end to killings

    A group, The New Nigeria Youth Movement, aka Youth Movement for Better Nigeria, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul the security architecture owing to the wanton killings across the nation. Its president, Comrade Folarin Adekanbi, told reporters in Lagos that Nigerians must work collectively to guarantee peace in the nation. He warned the current situation could degenerate into an ethno-religious war if not checked.

    Lamenting the massive loss of lives and property over Boko Harm insurgency and herdsmen killings, Adekanbi said the attacks on defenceless communities and villagers were barbaric. “Any act of abuse of a right of any citizen of the country is condemnable and unacceptable irrespective of the class , creed or religious divide of the perpetrator, as it contradicts the provisions of the laws of the land. We must avoid a war with ethnic and religious colouration that would be difficult to end,” he stressed.

    He urged the army and other security agencies to be more professional in engagements with civil populace to avoid tarnishing their image before the international community. He noted the police in recent times have come under bad light for the incessant harassment of innocent citizens, advising concerned authorities to checkmate these excesses to improve relations with Nigerians.

  • Lagos CP laments drug abuse effects on youths

    Lagos State Police Commissioner Imohinmi Edgal has lamented the effects of drug abuse on youths.

    He spoke at an event in Ikeja organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Adorable Foundation International as part of activities to make the  United Nations International World Drug Day.

    Speaking at a lecture with the theme: ‘’A societal awareness  campaign  against drug abuse’’, Edgal, represented  by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mohammed Ali said the high crime rate in the country could be traced to drug abuse.

    According to him, curbing drug abuse is not what the Nigeria Police alone can handle.

    He praised the NGO for joining the campaign.

    According to him, the foundation should endeavour to take the campaign to the schools to educate youths on the consequences of drug abuse.

    Adorable Foundation International founder, Princess  Ada Okeke Amam commended the Lagos Police Command for their tireless effort at reducing drug abuse.

    According to her, it is in this light that the CP agreed to flag off the campaign.

    She appealed to law enforcement agencies, parents, teachers and other well-meaning individuals serious since the menace is destroying youths.

    She also appealed to clerics and other religious leaders to take the campaign to their various places of worship.

    According to her, if all hands could be on deck, the frightening scourge of drug abuse would be reduced to the barest minimum.

    The foundation took the campaign to major markets in Lagos State, such as Computer Village, Odun Ede Market, Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, among others, to educate traders on the evil effect of drug abuse.

  • ‘Youths prefer studying abroad because of decay in education’

    Stakeholders in the educational sector have said youths prefer studying abroad because of the decay in    education.

    They spoke at the weekend during a programme on how Nigerians could study abroad with ease, held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos. It was organised by the University of Sunderland, London, United Kingdom. The programme was held simultaneously in Lagos, Benin and Port Harcourt.

    Larry Jones, a Nigerian lecturer at the University of Sunderland, said the government needed to know why youths preferred studying abroad.

    He lamented that incessant strikes forced students to spend up to six years for a course that should run for four years.

    “Why would you want to do a degree for six years? You do one year and the schools are on strike. You end up spending more years. One of the reasons youths want to study abroad is because of the quality of education. Most of our graduates are unemployable; reason being that the lecturers are not committed.

    “University of Sunderland understands the importance of giving the best. Something is wrong with our educational system, we should change the way we do things. The way forward is for those coming to study abroad to return to Nigeria and change things,” Jones said.

    The Deputy Director{International}, Ian Moody, said the university had been having students from Nigeria for almost a decade, adding that “we are in Nigeria to help students gain admission to University of Sunderland, which has been in existence for over 100 years.”

    “We have found out that Nigerian students are of high standard. They add value to the university’s curriculum. We know it has been difficult getting Nigerian students to the UK in terms of visas and fees.”

    What we want to do is give back to Nigerians and other Africans in terms of offering scholarships. We help students with their visas preparation in order to come to the UK. We give advice on programmes,” he said.

    Wisdom Okoye, who completed his PhD at the university, said the educational system in Nigeria was very poor, noting that there was need for the government to invest in education.

    Umeayor Chioma, an undergraduate at the university, lamented that it took longer time to get a degree in Nigeria.

    She said she would only spend three years to study Nursing, instead of spending four years for the programme in Nigeria.