The Nation Newspaper

Tag: youths

  • Youths condemn calls for restructuring

    Youths condemn calls for restructuring

    •Back Buhari anti-corruption war

    Thousands of youths yesterday kicked against the agitation for restructuring of the nation.

    To them, the agitation is a distraction to the anti-corruption war of the current administration.

    The youths stated these during a march on the National Assembly under the aegis of Coalition of Patriotic Nigerians Both at Home and Diaspora in Defence of Democracy.

    They also passed a vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari in his fight against corruption.

    Addressing reporters during a solidarity match for President Buhari, national coordinator of the group, Sunday Attah, said those calling for Nigeria’s restructuring were enemies of the country.

    He said: “Anyone that continues with this hostility of using demand for restructuring or any other excuse to distract President Buhari is an enemy of Nigeria.

    “Protests, calls for break up and violence against economic infrastructure may intensify but we know we will overcome the enemies of Nigeria.

    “These insurrections, separatists’ agenda, economic sabotage, terrorism, unbridled theft of public resources and other criminal acts are the planks that paid agents are using to canvass the restructuring of Nigeria.

    “They call it restructuring but enlightened people realise that it is a cover for negotiating the partitioning of Nigeria to feudal lords who are waiting to rule enclaves in which they want to keep the rest of us as slaves.”

    He said those calling for restructuring were the same people that sabotaged the economic growth of the country, adding that Nigeria must remain united.

    He explained: “Irrespective of what fine words they couch their evil intentions in our belief in the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable and we will do all the law prescribes to maintain the unity of Nigeria.

    “While some may think the economy is struggling, these very vices that have been at the root of all other problems are the real problems to be tackled.

    “Once they are properly addressed we will all see a new Nigeria arising out of the ruins that it has been plunged by previous regimes.”

     

  • SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTHS INSPIRE TIWA SAVAGE

    PRESENTLY in South Africa on a tour, Nigerian songstress Tiwa Savage has revealed that she is inspired by spirit not to give up on the youngsters rescued from Child Trafficking, during her encounter with them.

    Speaking on her experience with the youths, after an interactive session with them, she stated: “Even though I was supposed to give these beautiful young ladies words of encouragement I ended up being more inspired by them. They said they didn’t want to be seen as victims but as conquerors because the fact that they are still alive proves that God is not done with them yet. This was such a powerful moment to witness.”

    The mother of one recently admitted in an interview to have been in an abusive relationship with her husband and manager Tee Billz. She appears to be picking up the pieces of her life together, with the focus to make her son, one of the best in the male folks.

    Also being honoured with the Hero Of the Month award, the Mavin Records signee revealed that making music is just part of her story, but touching lives and using her platform to make a change no matter how little, is ultimate goal.

    Tiwa Savage, whose calendar is full for the year, will be performing in Washington DC and Houston on July 29 and August 15 respectively.

  • A lift for widows, youths

    Residents of Amagu community in Ebonyi State have a lot to thank a businessman and philanthropist Chinedu Ogah for. He lifted the spirits of the poor such as widows as well as needy youths by giving them foodstuff and such other items as fertilisers, salt, even cash.

    Ogah, who prefers to be called comrade, gave out the items to mark his birthday.

    In a speech, he noted that his foundation, the Chinedu Ogah Foundation, is committed to making life better for the less-privileged.

    Ogah who is also the National Coordinator of Buhari and Osinbajo Initiative for Demonstrating Change, disclosed that his foundation has secured over 520 jobs for indigent Ebonyi residents in federal agencies and establishments, and trained more than 600 Ebonyi people in various skills.

    He appealed to the people and all Nigerians to continue to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the president is poised to reorganise the country.

    Ogah also used the occasion to present certificates, tools and equipment to some youths his foundation trained in various skills.

    The celebrant alongside friends and family members and associates visited over 30 hospitals and health centres across the state to donate some hospital equipment as well as useful items to nursing mothers.

    Ogah also gave out cash gifts to patients totalling over N10m during the tour.

    Some of the hospitals visited included Mile 4 Hospital Abakaliki, Echialike Health Centre, Ikwo, Primary Health Centre, Odomowo Inyimagu, Ikwo,Primary Health Care Centre Effegbagu Inyimagu, Ikwo among others.

    This year’s event was special because it had in attendance the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi.

    The former governor said he first met Comrade Ogah in the heat of his campaign for the governorship of Ebonyi State in January 2007 when Ogah approached him and offered to help in his campaigns.

    He said, “From that point Chinedu accompanied me to campaign in all the three senatorial zones of the state. Without my knowledge, he went ahead to open campaign offices in all the zones of the state and followed it up till we won the election.”

    The former governor noted that Ogah’s skills in youth mobilisation and leadership as well as his interest in security and intelligence matters helped his government to have a peaceful and impactful administration.

    He noted that the impact Ogah’s foundation, Chinedu Ogah Foundation, made in his government using the platform of Ebonyi Youth Assembly will remain indelible in the annals of the state.

    Chief Elechi said that he was not surprised when the Federal Government spotted him and honoured him with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

    He said that the fact that Comrade Ogah did not go to expensive hotels in major cities in company of his wealthy friends to waste millions of naira but chose to celebrate with the downtrodden in the society spoke volumes of his love for the less- privileged and passion to help them.

    He urged Comrade Ogah to continue in his good works to the society, assuring him that greater future awaits him, saying that his 40th birthday is just a stepping stone for greater exploits.

  • Police chief counsels youths on terrorism

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni has counselled  youths to be positive change agents.

    He said this while delivering a lecture titled: “Youth and terrorism” to pupils of over 50 schools at a career guidance and counselling programme organised by Goge Africa Foundation (GAF) and the Federal Ministry of information and Culture at the National Theatre, Lagos.

    Owoseni said: “We need to guide our youths, who are vulnerable citizens so that they will not be used as agents of terrorism. All of us can be change agents. Make the right choice when people are in distress.”

    Condemning last week’s Maryland violence in the state, he said: “Take an example of what happened at Maryland, even after one of the street hawkers had been knocked down by a vehicle, rather than people helping the security agents to quickly remove the corpse from the road, the street urchins seemed to be jubilant, going on the streets to destroy things, including BRT buses that were provided by government for the good of the people.”

    The Commissioner also blamed the economic downturn, including electricity failure, unemployment, and inflation, among others, on acts of terrorism.

    He said: “Why do you think your mothers use the money they should use to buy you new clothes and other things to buy fuel, and some parents don’t have jobs, and we are experiencing so many economic setbacks? It is because terrorism leads to economic and infrastructural setbacks.”

    Owoseni counselled the pupils to embrace education, fear of God, parental guidance and moral values to become productive adults.

    Meanwhile, co-founder of GAF, Mrs Nneka Isaac Moses, said the annual event was meant to build innovative and creative spirit in children from a young age.

    She advised parents to guide but not choose careers for their children, rather harness and enhance their God-given dreams.

    On creativity and innovation, Nollywood actor and comedian, Basorge Tariah Jnr, charged the pupils to shun procrastination, time wasting and laziness, but embrace hardwork and be entrepreneurially minded.

    Other topics discussed at the event were digital media and youth education; and Nutrition and your health.

  • Heritage Bank’s CEO harps on entrepreneurship for youths

    Heritage Bank’s CEO harps on entrepreneurship for youths

    Heritage Bank Plc in partnership with the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) has graduated 100 young entrepreneurs in the CVL Young Entrepreneurship Training Programme (YETP) in Ajegunle, Lagos.

    The CVL is aimed at identifying young people, especially youths in densely populated communities and putting them through a full year of training in small business management.

    These young entrepreneurs who have been trained in various skills such as catering, bead making, event management, fashion design, arts, hair dressing, shoe cobbling among others have also imbibed comprehensive business management and entrepreneurship skills that would equip them to be successful business owners.

    Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, expressed appreciation to the founder of CVL, Professor Pat Utomi, for the initiative and implored the graduands to reciprocate by making the best of the opportunity.

    “We are attracted to CVL because we seek how we can harness entrepreneurial skills of people, reduce unemployment and foster development of communities, like the Ajegunle community. We are delighted with the mechanics of this program and we recognize the strategic importance and impact of successful businesses could have on young entrepreneurs and the society, which is why we provide funds for start-ups,” he said.

    As a way of showing the bank’s commitment to the initiative, the Managing Director, who was represented by the Divisional Head, Corporate Banking, Heritage Bank, Apapa Region Mr. Kehinde Olugbemi announced that two physical agent banking kiosks will be opened and commissioned before the end of the year so as to make financial services more accessible to the graduands as well as the city of Ajegunle.

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by Mrs. Olabisi Boko, a Director in the State Ministry of Employment tasked them to use the acquired skills immensely to add value to their wellbeing. In the Governor’s words: “the Lagos State Government is committed to fighting unemployment by collaborating with private sector initiatives such as the CVL’s in achieving this goal.” The Governor called on the private sector and stakeholders of the economy to emulate as well as support the CVL initiative.

  • Isoko youths: we’re not with Avengers

    Isoko youths, under the aegis of Isoko Dynamic Youths Association (IDYA), have distanced themselves from the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    The association’s President Jamnogo Blessing told reporters in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, that the reports linking his people to the NDA were maliciously misconstrued.

    Blessing said the reports were allegedly aimed at setting the group up against the Federal Government and the Isoko of Delta State.

    He said: “The Isoko Dynamic Youths Association is a socio-political organisation and a non-militant group whose goal is to canvass for the welfare of not only its members but all youths and people of Isoko in Delta State and beyond.

    “We are not militants and we do not have any link whatsoever with the Niger Delta Avengers or any other militant group under any guise.

    “As an organisation that promotes peace and abhors violence, we condemn the indiscriminate destruction and bombing of oil facilities by militant groups in Niger Delta.

    “We, therefore, state unequivocally that dialogue remains the only path to sustainable peace and development in Niger Delta and not violence or militant confrontation.

    “We urge the people of Idheze and Isoko to disregard the rumours making the rounds.”

  • Ijaw youths condemn attacks on Ogun, Lagos communities

    Ijaw youths yesterday condemned armed invasion of Ogun and Lagos communities where innocent residents were killed.

    They described the incidents as criminal and barbaric.

    The youths, under the auspices of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, disassociated the Ijaw nation and their groups from the attacks.

    In a statement by its spokesman Eric Omare, IYC condemned the incidents, irrespective of who was involved. The group insisted that the attackers were not Ijaw indigenes.

    The statement said: “We state clearly that the persons carrying out these criminal attacks are not Ijaw and it is absolutely wrong for the media to refer to them as Ijaw militants.

    “The sensational headlines and impression being created is that Ijaw persons or groups were carrying out organised attacks and killing people in some Lagos and Ogun communities.

    “The Ijaw, who are indigenous to and living in the Southwest of Nigeria, are peaceful and law-abiding people and can never be involved in attacking communities and killing people.

    “The Ijaw also have not, at any time, met and agreed to attack communities and kill people in Lagos and Ogun states.

    “We call on the media to accurately report events to avoid unnecessary inter- crisis between ethnic groups whose people were killed and the Ijaw indigenous to and living in Southwest.

    “Any inter-ethnic crisis between Yoruba and Ijaw ethnic groups is not in the interest of Nigeria; the media must guide against it. We also call on security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the Lagos and Ogun killings to justice to serve as deterrent to orders.”

  • WAVE: Employability skills for youths

    WAVE: Employability skills for youths

    Godwin Udobassey was working with the Loss and Prevention department of a Security outfit as casual staff when he heard about West Africa Vocational Education (WAVE), a pioneering social enterprise from an alumnus of the organisation.
    He applied to WAVE because he wanted to acquire more skills and get a steady job after learning about the multiple opportunities the organisation had to offer.
    Godwin was challenged with the process of discarding his old self and embracing the new path WAVE offered him. It took a while for him to learn and unlearn, but he was able to adapt and go through the programme.
    Three weeks after graduation from WAVE, Godwin got a new job with The Orchid Bistro Restaurant as a waiter. ”The systems thinking I learnt from WAVE has helped me to discover errors in my workplace before anyone else within my department—apart from my senior colleagues,” Godwin said.
    Godwin is one of the 435 people who have so far benefitted from WAVE’s training with  more than 70% of them placed in entry-level jobs doubling and tripling their incomes.
    Over 40 million West African youth are chronically disconnected from the formal economy because they lack academic qualifications, skills and experience. WAVE gets these youth ready for work through skills training and connects them to the right entry-level jobs that enhance their social mobility.
    WAVE was founded in 2013 by Misan Rewane, a graduate of Economics from Stanford University following a discussion with colleagues at the Harvard Business school about unemployment in Africa.
    “It is a vocational training platform aimed at empowering millions of disadvantaged West African youth with employability skills that transform their mindsets and employment opportunities that enhance their social mobility through vocational training.”
    According to Rewane, WAVE provides self-motivated youth with skills employers want, teaches them how to stand out professionally by inculcating a mindset of continuous improvement and places them in paid technical apprenticeships in high-growth industries where they earn while they learn.
    “We identify, train and place talented under-served youth in entry-level jobs in high-growth industries (like the retail and hospitality sector) that double their income. We screen job-seekers for innate talent like emotional intelligence and provide training in industry-relevant employability skills, like problem solving and customer relations. Making a match is a win for our trainees and employer partners.”
    WAVE’s three week training programme offers a unique combination of hands on tasks, case studies and simulations.
    “The classes were fun, my teammates were awesome and I learnt so many things that I did not have the opportunity to learn in four years at University,” said Temiloluwa Abiola, an alumni of WAVE.
    “Our trainers did not mind repeating themselves just for one person to grasp the point. They were relentless in helping us to understand the lessons.”
    By empowering these youth, WAVE seeks to enhance their social mobility and spark a cultural mindset change of professional excellence that could catalyse Africa’s economic development.
    Potentially WAVE’s screen, train, place model could be replicated across other regions beyond West Africa to reach and connect millions of young people to jobs.
    WAVE’s target group is the traditionally excluded populations (18-35 year-olds without a university degree living on less than $2/day). It focuses on harder-to-teach soft skills and changing industry behaviour by promoting a “hire for attitude, train for skill approach.”
    Hope Mari, another beneficiary of WAVE’s training said she learnt a lot about team work which has helped her at work. “It has changed my orientation completely. Before I joined WAVE, I used to hate anything that had to do with joint work. I would rather do my own part and leave the rest. But with what I have learnt at WAVE I can say I now see the need  and have more understanding about team work.”
    In furtherance of accomplishing its goals WAVE hopes to build a model that can be replicated to screen, train and connect millions of marginalized youth to entry-level jobs and to combine and leverage “our direct programmatic experience with policy advocacy to change the education-to-work system more broadly.” WAVE needs partnerships with businesses, governments, funders and peer organizations to make this a reality.

     

  • ‘We are engaging Delta youths meaningfully’

    ‘We are engaging Delta youths meaningfully’

    Kelvin Okolie, chairman, Delta State chapter of Nigeria Youth Organization, NYO speaks on his mission and the forth-coming inauguration of the state’s executive council in Asaba.

    What exactly is the mission of Nigeria Youth Organization in Delta State?

    As the name implies, we are a youth organisation that is concerned about youth empowerment through creating awareness for youths to realize themselves in the society.  I wish to state here that skill acquisition is one of the vehicles for realising these objectives. In Delta State, we are passionate about youth empowerment in the areas of sports development, agriculture, ICT and entrepreneurship. Part of our work is also to create awareness about their role as youths in public service and leadership positions. If we say that a youth of 18 can vote, why then is it difficult for that same youth of 18 not to be voted for?  There is no point stating the fact that we are not well represented in government today, this is a well known fact.

    How much of these objectives have you achieved in Delta State?

    At the moment, we are putting finishing touches to our various programmes which are intended to train 25 youths from our state’s 25 local government areas. And we will be organising a seminar where these youths would be empowered with materials to work with. As you are aware, we will inaugurate our state chairman and executive members alongside local government chairmen on July 2. As far as we are concerned, this is a big event as we will be playing host to dignitaries both within and outside the state.

    Beyond the inauguration, what else?

    We are going to organise a lecture titled: The Youth and the Challenges of Building a New Nigeria. We chose this topic in order to create the needed consciousness among youths. We feel the time has come for Nigerian youths to take their place in the society and play the expected roles. Our aim is also to get the youths off the streets by channelling their energies to more productive ventures.

    There are many youth groups in Nigeria saying almost the same thing. What distinguishes you from others?

    As you are aware, NYO is a foremost youth organization in Nigeria founded in 1980. The organisation was founded with the belief that the youth as a class have a common destiny and obligation to society. But more important, NYO serves as a catalyst for the promotion of peace and good neighbourliness among young Nigerians. Therefore, there could not have been a better time to galvanise youths in Nigeria and Delta State in particular. We know the challenges we face today as a country and as an important and vibrant group, we cannot afford to stand aloof.

    But it is regrettable that we are yet to take advantage of our number and strength in the society. Current statistics show that the youth constitute more than 65 per cent of the population in the country. Ironically, a good number of this population is idling away and this is antithetical to the fact that youths are the engine room of development in any nation. Conscious of this fact, we are therefore determined to make a difference.

    Finally, how do you intend to drive this process in order to make the needed impact in Delta State?

    As a youth organisation, our priority is to engage and motivate youths of Delta State to make positive impact. But we cannot do all we set out to do in isolation. We will need support from relevant stakeholders, particularly Delta State which should provide the enabling environment. Our approach naturally will be anchored on advocacy, mobilisation and capacity building. It is gratifying to note that we already have a youthful governor who knows the issues. This, no doubt, would go a long way because Delta State is bubbling with energetic and vibrant youths who need little motivation to achieve their objectives in live.

  • ‘Investment in agric can create jobs for youths’

    An octogenarian, Pa Emmanuel Osunwo Remi-Williams, has urged the government to tackle youth unemployment by investing in agriculture.

    In an interview, he said the perennial problem of the country is unemployment and  this could be solved through a recourse to farming

    Pa Remi-Williams said the federal and state governments should study the blueprints adopted by the late premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    He said Awo, as the late sage was popularly known, solved youth unemployment then by acquiring vast areas of land in Apoje on the outskirts of Ijebu Igbo, which were devoted to palm tree plantation.

    To encourage young school leavers to work on the farms, he said Awo gave the youth good welfare packages, including salaries. “People were enticed with bicycles, the most senior ones with motocycle. Other areas were earmarked for cocoa and cassava planting. Salary scale was good and very encouraging. Education was one of the cardinal points of the government. Free education was introduced in 1955. It was a six-year programme, after secondary modern school. Most of these youth took to agriculture instead of white collar jobs,’’ he said.  According to him, the government used the money it made from agriculture to build its education programme and build skycrappers, such as the Cocoa House in Ibadan.

    Also, Pa Remi-Willaims said during the Second Republic, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) also used agriculture as  cardinal programme.

    He cited former Lagos State governor Alhaji Lateef Jakande who acquired land in Epe for rice plantation to buttress his point. He said many Nigerians were willing to return to the farms if given the right incentives.

    He said his call became imperative as the country’s economic earnings from its mono-product declines daily, warning that there might be more problems ahead if an alternative was not sought, especially for the youth.

    Since the idle mind is the devil’s workshop, he said the youth should be engaged.

    He however, did not support the idea of giving tools to the young to stand on their own, saying they lack the experience and that not everyone could be an entrepreneur.