The Nation Newspaper

Tag: youths

  • Don advises youths to acquire skills

    The School of Communication and Liberal Studies of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, has held its second International Conference with the theme: Beyond oil: Tackling unemployment inequality and poverty through community participation for national development.

    The three-day conference was held at the auditorium of the School of Agriculture.

    In his keynote speech, Prof Femi Otubanjo advised youths to acquire vocational skills that would enable them contribute to the growth of the economy. If the youths are productive, Otubanjo said they would help in the development of their communities and the nation.

    He said: “Youths must set up goals for their communities and mobilise the elders for support in building a better economy. At the state and national levels, we ought to have an army of skilled youths to drive growth. We need productive young people just as we need traditional rulers to resolve disputes and set goals for their communities.”

    The Rector, Mr Samuel Sogunro, lamented the neglect of agriculture, saying young school leavers preferred to work in oil sector, rather than expending their energy in agriculture.

    He noted that the polytechnic shored up its curriculum by providing entrepreneurial skills and opportunities for students, with the aim to be self-reliant and create jobs.

    The rector said: “In the past, Nigeria depended on agricultural produce such as groundnut and cocoa. But with the discovery of oil, people ran away from farm and change their focus to oil to make quick cash. “Similar thing happened in LASPOTECH. The school used to produce eggs, garri and other agricultural produce. The moment we commenced part-time programmes, the school neglected the business. We want a situation students will graduate with adequate skills so that they can be employer of labour, instead of seeking for white-collar jobs.”

     

  • Zinox chief to youths: ICT knowledge crucial to digital economy

    Zinox chief to youths: ICT knowledge crucial to digital economy

    Chairman of Zinox  Group Leo Stan Ekeh has advised the youth and entrepreneurs to embrace the numerous opportunities for wealth creation, which abound with the growing pace of digital revolution and the knowledge economy.

    He said with global shift to information communications technology (ICT), wealth had become a right for all in the 21st Century.

    Ekeh spoke during an entrepreneurship summit with: The ABC of wealth creation and sustenance in the 21st Century as theme.

    It was organised by the Imo State University and its alumni association in partnership with an e-commerce outfit, Yudala, at the University Auditorium at the weekend.

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha was represented by House Speaker, Acho Ihim; Vice Chancellor Prof. Adaobi Obasi, other principal officers of the university as well as several first class traditional rulers.

    Ekeh, who was the guest speaker, decried the attitude to quality education among Igbo youths, a generational problem which he traced to parents who erroneously assumed that education delays the progress of a man.

    He said: “The political leadership of the Southeast for decades has bemoaned the falling enrolment in schools. However, the mindset among many seems to be: Why do we need formal education when all we have to do is find the fastest way of making clean money? ‘Seek ye wealth first and all the rest shall be added unto you’ or drawn straight from the Bible in the book of Wisdom – ‘money answereth all’.

    “This mindset should change to ‘knowledge answers all’. In the 21st Century, knowledge is your right and the most important capital before cash.

    “Wealth creation would always be about generating material values and accumulating same but the knowledge economy says to us that the processes must change. These tools are to be used to reorganise society and fire innovation. The knowledge economy has shrunk the global village even further and our aspirations must rise above the tripod of Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo battle for supremacy. The globe must be the platform for our operations and it has been since 1859 but we need to look inwards if we are to take advantage of the knowledge era.

    “The Igbo entrepreneur would have to take quality education more seriously as deficiency in this is already a minus to her intellectual capacity to sustain her enterprise.”

    In his opinion, innovation, which he defined as when an invention meets a customer,  represents one key success factor for many budding entrepreneurs who seek to enjoy digital wealth.

    “There are Igbo entrepreneurs, including my humble self who have made huge investments in Lagos, Abuja, the UK, along the East and West Coast of Africa who would have no choice other than make investments at home given the qualified manpower and irresistible innovations. The 21st Century venture fund would be delivered to innovations no matter where they are found – China, Indonesia, South Africa, Israel, Brazil, name it.

    “The point being made here is that the world needs innovations – answers to challenges confronting humanity – and the 21st Century Igbo aspiration should be to provide these innovations that are technology driven so that the products would be cost efficient and cost effectively reach more consumers world over,” he said.

    Urging the audience to embrace the ICT revolution, Ekeh noted that there is a clear and urgent need for training and re-training in a bid to reveal the potentials of ICT to all.

    “It is important that I make it quite clear that what I am advocating is not that everyone must be an ICT professional. What I am saying is that every professional or entrepreneur at least for selfish reasons must be ICT literate enough to ensure that every sector of the economy is ICT driven. It is accepted globally that only ICT can catalyse national development at the pace that satisfies the high expectations in good living of the 21st Century,” he said.

  • Embrace truth, says Mrs Ambode to youths

    Embrace truth, says Mrs Ambode to youths

    Wife of Lagos State Governor Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has urged Nigerians to embrace truth in all their dealings.

    The charged was made during the 2016 Musical Youth Fiesta Initiative (MYFI) at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotel Lagos.

    With “The Truth” as theme for this year’s edition, Mrs Ambode enjoined youths to imbibe the virtue, saying its embrace would lead to economic and religious empowerment. “Many of the problems plaguing our nations could be attributable to the absence of “truth” which makes the theme for this event very appropriate and timely. Truth, on absolute term, breaks the shackles of disease, ignorance, superstition and poverty. Absolute honesty would guarantee your success and make you stand before kings and not mean men,” she said.

    The yearly music concerts, which was organised by Senator Oluremi Tinubu for children and young adults from across the state, featured music, songs and drama ministrations from different churches in the state. Among other dignitaries was the wife of Osun State governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola.

    Speaking on this year’s theme, Senator Tinubu said: “The theme “The Truth” is a peculiar one, especially at a time when our youths are confronted with so many challenges due to advancement in technology. The battle is no longer the fight between ‘good and evil’ but ‘the truth and the lie’.”

    She also enjoined the young to imbibe virtues that impact positively on their development and that of society.

    MYFI Organising Committee Chairman, Jide Sanwo-Olu, the vision of the concert is to bring children and young adult together around the festive season, and give them the opportunity to enjoy quality Christian music and songs; be inspired, thankful to God and dream of a brighter future.

    “I believe that life and success of nations and their bright future lies in the hands of the generation of today. If the youth of today have strong values, the best education, good health, right priorities and full sincerity, then we can say that the future is bright,” he said.

    The event also saw to the graduation of teenagers from the Musical Youth Fiesta Initiative Leadership Academy. The academy targets girls between the age 13 to 18, when you can mould them. Senator Tinubu, along with other mentors, teaches and schools the girls on various areas – the word of God, ethos, ethics and etiquette.

  • Isoko youths make fresh demands for peace in Niger Delta

    A pressure group, Isoko Dynasty Boys 19 (IDB-19), has warned oil and gas companies and intervention agencies in Isoko community of Delta State to engage youths for peace to return to Niger Delta.

    In a statement to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), multinational oil companies and security agencies, the group warned that failure of concerned organisations to heed its demand would result in what it called dire consequences.

    The statement, by Coordinator-General and Secretary, Collins Ededhor and Henry Osioh, reads: “We want the Nigerian security arms to engage Isoko youths positively in …security training, information gathering, employment and other collaborations that are legal.

    “The NDDC and DESOPADEC should involve our youths directly in all forms of skill training, acquisition and youth development. We need soft loans for young farmers’ multi-purpose unions, through their governing bodies, IDB-19 and IPYC for proper accountability.

    “To secure the reopening of our right of way (ROW) and for a cordial relationship with Isoko youths and their organs, there is a huge demand for a concrete, concise and converted MoU.”

  • ‘Education is youths’ right’

    The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Lagos state Ministry of Justice, Mrs Funlola Odunlami has said that education is not only a right for youths but also a tool for achieving sustainable development.

    Odunlami saID this yesterday in her welcome address at the annual human rights day celebration for 2016 organised by the Directorate for Citizens Rights in the Lagos state Ministry of Justice.

    “It is also a tool for improving the nation’s human capital and increasing national economic and social growth because in every youth lies the seed of greatness, extraordinary qualities and excellence.”

    Stressing the importance of good education for youths, Odunlami said it is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty.

    “Youths are also entitled to basic human rights such as food, healthcare, safe home and protection from abuse. These special set of rights is to cater for their vulnerability and to ensure that adults take responsibility for their protection and development”, she said.

    She said it was in recognition of this that Lagos State enacted the Child’s Right law which ensures that the rights of youths are well protected.

    She added: “His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State also gave a very important recognition to and as well as protection of the right of every youth as one of the priorities of his administration,” she said.

  • Youths ask govt to lift ban on land importation of vehicles

    The Seme border, Badagry, Lagos State chapter of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), has urged the Federal Government to rescind its decision to ban vehicles’ importation through land borders.
    Its Chairman, Comrade Sambo Adamu, in a statement yesterday, described the decision as “a big threat to the economic well-being of the masses.”
    Implementing the policy, according to the AYCF, will affect small scale dealers, who rely on that venture for their livelihood.
    “In addition, it would also encourage high level of smuggling through the land borders. It would create rooms for some Nigerian Customs service officers to be corrupt by generating revenue into their private pockets through collaboration with smugglers to smuggle into the country those cars without the government benefiting from it,” he said.
    “And if this happens, it will render millions of Nigerians jobless by denying the government the opportunity to create jobs for the people with the lost revenue and thereby bring about drastic fall of revenue generation through the land borders,” he added.
    The group said smuggling in the seaports is higher than through land borders.
    It cited concealment, under payment, under valuation, over valuation, falsification of documents, releasing of goods before the arrival of ship as some of the ways the government loses revenue through seaports.
    “It is a known fact that customs has bought two new sophisticated patrol boats which have arrived in the country since last year. Unfortunately, up till now, it has not been commissioned for use. This is not supposed to be so, because the rate of smuggling activities that has been going on at high sea is more than the one on land,” Adamu said.

  • Buhari to youths: Don’t lose hope on Nigeria

    Despite the economic challenges in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday urged Nigerian youths not to lose hope.

    He gave the advise while receiving the National Planning and Implementation Committee on the 2016 National Youth Open Water Swimming Competition at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Speaking specifically to Nigerian athletes, he urged them to be up and doing in order to show Africa and the rest of the world that Nigeria’s size and number is not for nothing.

    According to him, the size of Nigeria, it’s natural resources and population have put the country in a very difficult position, not only in Africa but throughout the world.

    He said “Everybody expect Nigeria to perform because of our quality human and material resources. We just have to be up and doing in order to show Africa and the rest of the world that our size and number and not for nothing.

    “We should prove that we can produce competitive individuals and we are able to manage ourselves, he added.

    ‎He also urged the youths to be more competitive in their various human endeavour so as to justify the country’s size and resources.

    Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation Senator Kabiru Gaya ‎said that the objectives of the competition include to raise a pool of responsive young Nigerian swimmers; to discover hidden talents and breed future stars and professionals to represent Nigeria in international swimming competitions; to promote cohesion, national peace, unity and security among youths.

    He also noted that there are various developmental projects under the Buhari-led administration aimed at improving the lives of the Nigerian youths.

    He listed them to include Buhari’s unbridled commitment to the anti-graft campaign; the multi-billion naira youth empowerment fund; N-Power Youth Entreprenuership Development and Empowerment Programme for over 500,00 youth; market women empowerment; massive boost and investment in agricultural development in rice

  • Engaging youths in agriculture

    Engaging youths in agriculture

    Agriculture is gaining prominence among the youth and helping to push the development agenda. It is also addressing a growing concern that youths are disenchanted with the enterprise. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Young farmers, such as the Chief Executive, Natural Nutrient Limited, Sola Adeniyi, see farming in three dimensions: as a mission, a way of life and an important foundation in ensuring a society’s food security.

    He belongs to a community of educated, empowered and passionate young farmers engaged in profitable farming that nurtures a prosperous, resilient, healthy and happy Nigeria. Although he  holds a degree in Business Administration, he was drawn to farming and had dreamt of managing a farm of his own one day.

    As a young entrepreneur, Adeniyi has developed his farm business located in Ogun State, using a diversified farming system. Natural Nutrient Limited is a full value chain agri-business enterprise.

    His farm is a learning centre, where young people can come for several days, see and learn about planting herbal and food plants and vegetables as well as permaculture. He is a proud advocate of integrated and diversified farming system.

    He has an ongoing project at Lala town, Ogun State, where young people are shown how to grow high-value crops, keep livestocks and how to market produce to markets. Adeniyi stressed that youth could be attracted to agriculture if they saw meaningful income opportunities as well as have a sense of pride in farming.

    He has  a truly innovative and enterprising business – and a fearless approach to new technology,  and opened the farm gates to show his fellow farmers the way forward. The farm is a prime example of how youths can give vigour to a farm business. He relies on advice, works with  mentors and has an impressive grip on every aspect of his business.

    He looks into the accounts on a daily, monthly and yearly basis and works from a business plan. With greater confidence, he is continuing to drive forward. His work ethic,  use of technology and natural assets are just a few reasons Adeniyi is a great farmer. He hardly rests, running a mix of thriving and growing diversifications at different farms as well as remaining hands-on with his arable operation.

    He believed greater involvement of the youth in agricultural trainings and ventures can highten their social consciousness on the woes of farmers and on how to address these challenges.

    He said young farmers needed to earn at least subsistence wages from farming, adding that they lack experience, training, technical knowledge and skills to make farming more productive. They are  agricultural technology, farm management, agri-enterprise business development and marketing.  If skills trainings are provided, he said, a lot of youths will discover that  farming would make them rich and secure. Without these needed support, he said, young farmers feel that they cannot compete with big commercial farmers.

    He urged the government to provide them with basic resources especially land, capital and equipment to make farming less tedious.

    A lot of youths, according to him, have been under-tapped and neglected by their communities, governments, and international organisations, and thus are unable to make full use of their energy and potential in the agriculture sector.

    He is not alone thinking this way. He has found an ally  in an industrialist, Mr. Paul Okpue ,who  has presented  a national master plan to  train  youths to cultivate tomato  nationwide to stimulate economic growth and boost employment. He is encouraging young farmers to focus and invest more on high yielding crops to achieve two-three cropping circles in a year.

    One of such crops is tomato that takes about 75 days to mature after transplanting. The harvesting goes on for about six to eight weeks.

    He is seen as leader in the tomato farming revolution in Delta State.  Okpue has  an  expansive tomato plantation off Ibusa Road in Delta State. It  was used to facilitate the pilot project to tomatoes farmers in the state. He told The Nation that he was trying to establish a national network of young tomato growers.

    He said his target is  108,000 youths nationwide, translating to about 3000 per state.

    He said youths would be taught how to grow tomatoes, using irrigation and  spraying the crops regularly to keep pests at bay. When using irrigation, the young farmers will be introduced to good agronomic practices, including feeding them with phosphorous, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and sulphur fertilisers and good post-harvest handling measures.

    According to him, farming offers the young generation a chance to make a difference by growing enough food to feed the nation.

    Giving youths  the chance to fulfil their dreams in a sound, pragmatic business model that is commercially robust, is clearly at the front of Okpue’s mind.

    His blue print is to enable young people to discover more about agriculture as a profession and aims to encourage more people to perceive farming as a career after school.

    He has a lot of corporate backing to support his cause.  The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute(ARMTI),Ilorin,Kwara State is one of them.

    In support of the pursuit, ARMTI drew   agriculture students, faculty, public officials, non-government organisations (NGO) and small farmers to listen to his  blue print  and  to discuss the significance of young people in  farming and small-scale agriculture in alleviating poverty and achieving inclusive growth specifically in the rural areas. It was during the institute’s annual lecture in Ilorin.

    Acting Executive Director,Dr. Olufemi Oladunni said it was time young Nigerians  were  made to acquire  agricultural skills through training. He  believed   young farmers  could be   developed into young leaders and farmer entrepreneurs through exposure to good farming practices such as applying multipurpose farming and  raising livestock. To harness the potential of the youth for agriculture, Oladunni  said the institute  has a agro-based enterprises training  with provisions for young farmers.

    He said 75 youths were in the institute to get training on farming techniques.  Some of the institute’s  projects were mainly concentrated, where levels of open unemployment among rural youths are particularly high. However, considerably more attention is now being given to youth training, with a particular focus on promoting employment through both farm and non farm enterprise development.  The institute is  becoming increasingly interested in providing support for targeted training for young farmers.

    According to him, agriculture is expected to drive the nation’s economic growth.

  • Youths seek cultural revival

    Youths seek cultural revival

    Nigerian cultural and Christian values received attention on November 27 as youths of the  Redeemed  Christian Church of  God, Glory-Cloud Parish, 233, Ago Palace Way, Lagos organised  a programme tagged “Old School”, to clamour for a return to old days and ways of doing things that please God. It was the maiden edition of the programme.

    The weather was clement, even as the participants were full of excitement. It was common  to see guests in old fashioned dresses such as shorts  with shirts, long socks, bow ties and big shoes. There were women with big blouses and long skirts or dresses with big wigs. Some appeared in traditional dresses with cultural colouration.

    The event began with prayers.  Music was supplied by the City of David Musical Group. All events were preceded by a red carpet programme where guests were appreciated and encouraged to further support the idea.

    Speaking  on the programme, the Parish  pastor, Pastor Emeka  Okon said  the central idea is to bring out the strength  and benefits  of  the old Christianity  and Nigerian cultural values  which have been watered down by modernity.

    “The essentials of Christ message –salvation, love, and holiness are hardly preached in churches these days. Instead, prosperity and miracles are common topics’’, he said.

    He further said:’’In this programme, we want to  remind ourselves that there are good things  to learn from  old time believers  and virtues such as honesty, holiness, transparency, industry, discipline and hard work.

    “For instance, Apostle Lazarus, the legendary gospel singer was invited to show the youth that it pays to be humble, that despite his humility, he remains a colossus and a remarkable success. He submits  himself  entirely to the control of the Holy Spirit for inspiration and direction. The result is what we are witnessing in his evergreen songs that always lift souls. No doubt, this is a legend youths can learn from. ‘’

    Corroborating the Pastor’s views, the President  of  the Unstoppable  Youth  Fellowship of the church, Mr Ikenna  Eziefule said:’’The programme is celebrated in a relaxed atmosphere where everyone can have a sense of belonging. There are elements in our customs and traditions that are still relevant today. Such elements include greetings, respect to elders, hard work, discipline and good name. We want to bring them back through a programme like this.

    Equally ,we clamour  for  old ways  of worship that will encourage seriousness, holiness and salvation’’

    There was song ministration by the youth choir as hilarious jokes were provided by comedian 2TALK.

  • Youths seek end to HIV/AIDS at summit

    Worried about the burden of HIV/AIDS on the youth who are said to be the most productive of Nigeria’s population, some Nigerian youths converged on Transcorp Hilton Abuja, to brainstorm ways to end the epidemic.

    The youth, drawn from the 36 states of the federation under the auspices of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), attended the conference tagged Youth Summit, to mark this year’s World AIDS Day.

    The summit challenged Nigerian youths to discover themselves and assume leadership roles, drawing on their natural talents, backed with skills and robust energy to provoke change in the social and economic spheres

    Various speakers, who were mostly youths from various spheres of life, expressed optimism that if the youth could look inwards, understand their influence and awesome power, they can cause a lot of change in the current socio-political and economic situation in the country. This will empower them and make them less vulnerable to factors that drive the pandemic.

    Speaking during the event, Dr. Victoria Isiramen, United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) specialist on HIV said the global body was there ‘’to chat the future.”

    She added that donors are now shifting focus from HIV and AIDS to other areas, yet there exist great opportunities, if youths could position themselves to explore any aspect of the sustainable development goals. She said though the sustainable goals did not make any specific provision for HIV and AIDS intervention, many of the targets have direct relevance to youths and could be utilised.

    For instance, of the 17 goals, the first aims at ending poverty in all its forms everywhere while the second goal focuses on ending hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. The third ensures healthy lives and promotes people’s well-being at all ages while the fourth goal ensures inclusive and quality education for all and promotes life-long learning, among others.

    Citing what she called a “demographic dividend”, a term she defined as “a boost in economic growth that occurs when a country’s working age population is larger than the population that is dependent and younger,’’ she explained that this much is an asset that the country needs to leverage on to scale off from the limitations, but the youth are responsible to make it happen.

    She also cited very high unemployment rates in the country but maintained that “as active citizens’’ they can innovate and network to demand their rights and act as change agents through advocacy, mobilisation, education networking, using their vast numbers and advantages derivable from the new media and information technology.

    In his paper entitled “The Role of Young People in HIV Programming in Nigeria”, Mr. Isa Mohammed, advised the youth not to under-estimate their capacities, adding that there is no limit to what the youth could do.

    “We hold the power to build the future’, he insisted. He acknowledged the contributions of Nigerian youths in so many programmes to bring AIDS to an end. He said they include mobilisation of people to access treatment, advocacy for youth-friendly services and campaign against stigma and discrimination, among others.

    He also asserted that the world would only remember those who have solved a human problem. ‘’Get the job done, we are all in”

    In her paper entitled “Overview of HIV Response Among Young People in Nigeria”, Dr. Akudo  Ikpeazu, Director Programme Coordination, NACA, exposed the  vulnerability of youths to HIV and AIDS, citing factors that drive the pandemic to include multiple and concurrent sexual partnership, inter-generational sex and sexual coercion, among others.

    She enjoined the youth to take charge of themselves so as to be productive and responsible citizens.

    The summit featured various presentations, feedback session as well as capacity building. It enabled youths and adolescents to air their views on their experiences on HIV and AIDS and the way forward.