The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Badagry Chapter yesterday, August 12 held a symposium with the theme; “Youth Engagement for Global Action” to commemorate the 2020 International Youth Day celebration which is the first of its kind by the association in the region.
The programme held at Mato Hall, FAMS Embassy had delegates from Badagry Local Government, as well as Olorunda and Badagry West Local Council Development Areas.
Speaking at the symposium, the Director of Studies/HOD of Legislative Studies at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Dr. Mike Whetode channeled his lecture towards unemployment and underemployment, economic and social menace, political/administrative handling of matters concerning youth by the government.
Dr. Whetode admonished youth in the region to shift their attention away from white collar job. He advised them to rather be creative minded to engage in realistic business ventures aimed at providing jobs.
“It is pertinent to advise the leadership of the youth to involve themselves in job creation and employment of their colleagues after graduating rather than seeking for white collar jobs”. He stated.
He therefore challenged the youth to imbibe the “New normal” system as caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and embrace the world of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for personal advancement, aimed at innovative adventures, thereby creating avenue for curtailing the unemployment pervading the present generation.
“Federal Government of Nigeria is providing loans to individuals and cooperative societies toward agriculture and businesses. Hence, my take is to suggest that youth should redirect and focus attentions from white collar jobs to embrace agriculture”. He added
In the same vein, the pioneer, RAK Foundation, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende charged youths to wake up and be ready to take up challenges that comes their way on the journey of success noting that the key to success is “Making right decisions” which encompasses experience gathered through engagement and challenges encountered in life.
Mr. Ogunlende therefore called on young people to seek for knowledge and develop self for adaptation to the new normals for betterment through change of mindset, stressing that nothing comes easy on the way to success.
“I want you to leave with this acronym: ‘CUNKS, FI’, C – Change, U – Unity, N – Network, K – Knowledge, S – Self Discovery and FI – Financial Intelligence. This will help you in what you do as a young person. Your view toward things determines the outcome of it”. He said.
Also speaking at the symposium, the Assistant Corps Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Unit Command RS2.11 Badagry, Mr. B. S. Agbaje while speaking on the topic: “Youth Engagement for safer Roads” charged the teaming youths to take responsibility towards ensuring safety precautions are maintained, by curtailing recklessness while driving on the roads.
“Year 2020 theme has been designed to engage youth at local, national and international level for actions from now till 2021. Today, we are engaging at the local level and getting it correctly will transform to national and to international stage, so we need to begin to save our youth from destruction on the road as statistics has shown that 82% of those who die via road crashes are youth”. Mr. Agbaje said.
“Our sitting here today will be meaningless if after three months, we knock on your door and tell you someone is dead, it means we have not constructively engaged ourselves. I want to push us to action so as to reduce our contribution towards this menace”. He added.
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