Nigerian youths have been charged to always seek knowledge and develop capacity to provide solutions to the numerous problems confronting them and the global community.
This charge among others, was given by experts who spoke at the Executive Leadership Training programme for students’ leaders in Ife North Local Government organised by the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Tunde Olatunji.
Speakers at the training are the Senior Special Assistant to the Osun State Governor in Strategic Communication, Mr Charles Adeyemi, a lecturer at the Federal University Oye Ekiti, Dr Sobowale and the Executive Director of a Non Government organization, Kimpact Development Initiative, Mr Bukola Idowu among others.
The training took place in Edunabon, in Ife North Constituency, the couhtry home of Hon. Olatunji.
The participants were students’ Union leaders of Ife North Local Government origin, drawn from different schools across the country.
Charging the participants to identify their purposes and pursue them vigorously, the experts, in their separate submissions, asked youths not to depend on their academic certificates for sustenance.
They also charged governments at all levels to prioritise functional youth development programmes that are knowledge based.
In an opening remark, the convener, Mr Tunde Olatunji posited that the world had moved to a knowledge based economy, which could only accommodate those with content and capacity to provide solutions in that regards.
The Chief Whip disagreed with the common notion of ‘no jobs in Nigeria’, saying there are jobs in Nigeria and that what is lacking is the required competence to fill the vacancies.
“Just type jobs in Nigeria on your search engine, you will be amazed with thousands of result it will bring, but most of our graduates are certificate holders who do not have the needed skills to secure a 21st century employment ,” he said.
Mr Olatunji submitted that the digital skill gap must be filled through the collective efforts of governments, institutions of learning, the organised private sector and good hearted Nigerians, ” otherwise, our nations runs the risks of being left behind in global progression “
In his presentation, the Osun Governor Communication’s aide, Mr Charles Adeyemi observed that the limitations hindering the capacity of many Nigerian young persons were products on their inability to take advantage of opportunities around them, particularly in the contemporary digital age.
Mr Adeyemi reminded the participants that the Nigerian Youth must acknowledge the fact that the leadership of the society rest upon them, not until they got elected or appointed in offices, as transformation stories across global societies from time immemorial indicated that such process were propelled by young people.
“The starting point of taking responsibility is during elections. You must be actively involved in determining who secures the mandate of the people. But the situation where what you do is to mobilise for politicians and collect money before voting at elections, you have already betrayed your generational mission”. Mr Adeyemi said.
In his own presentation, Mr Bukola Idowu of Kimpact Development Initiatives who spoke on “leadership” argued that leadership was not just about position, authority or titles, but rather responsibility in achieving a desired organisation purpose.
Mr Idowu challenged young people in Nigeria, that complaints, docility and complacent lifestyle would not produce the needed transformation, but honest and genuine actions devoid of any immediate pecuniary gains.
To achieve this however, the Kimpact Director insist that ,” you must undergo a thorough process of training, through reading and other means of knowledge acquisition, which could only be attained through determination, selflessness and discipline. You must also build integrity to be taken serious by the society”.
On On his part, Doctor Sobowale of the Federal University Oye Ekiti who presented a paper on ” Forecasting, Strategic planning and Decision making” charged the participants to be strategic in drawing a workable plan of where they intend to be within a reasonable time frame.
Doctor Sobowale maintained that 90% percent of what Nigerians prayed about had already been done by God, but the people’s failure to fulfil their own part to actualise them.
It was his submission that ,” every human being who lived to be 70 years of age would surely have a story to tell of either how he made it or why he did not make it”
Responding on behalf of the students leaders, president of the National Forum of Ife North Students, NAFINS Comrade Ogunlola Aduragbemi said the messages passed by the guest lecturers were quite impactful with capacity to change the life’s of young people.
Mr Aduragbemi who stressed that the message would be taken to other members of the organization commended Mr Olatunji for his commitment to Youth development, not just in Ife North Local Government, but across the state.
The Leader of the Parliament of Ife North West Local Council Development Authority, Mr Tosin Oke described the leadership training programme as unprecedented in the area, or any where in the state.
Others students who spoke gave testimony of Mr Olatunji’s various intervention interms of programmes and material contributions to ensuring that the community is transformed through the transformation of its individual young persons.
They also commended the Chief Whip for facilitating the award of contract for the construction of roads in communities across the council, while appreciating Governor Gboyega Oyetola for deeming the area worth of such project; a development which they noted had not been recorded by any government in the history of council.
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