In commemoration of United Nations International Youth Day, 2020, theme “YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FOR GLOBAL ACTION” Lola Cater For The Needy Foundation (LC4NF) joins UN to seeks youths who cause changes by descent works and economic growth by highlighting the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced in Nigeria.
Below are few content drawn from submissions from some youth in Nigeria;
I am Eniola Lawrence Olutola. I live in Lagos. I volunteer as a Skillz guys coach and an online facilitator of Skillz live WhatsApp group at Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI). I am a volunteer at Tips Royal Foundation (TRF) outreach as the communication manager and as pidgin English writer and translator.
At YEDI I give vital information about COVID-19, HIV& AIDS, sexual reproductive health & rights (SRHR), malaria, as well as Sex & Gender based violence (SGBV).
At TRF we organized an outreach that made provision of writing materials, food items, clothes, malaria drugs and a little education about HIV/AID, malarial, rape, gender equality and drug abuse.
As a volunteer speaks to students of age ten to 24/ underprivileged children and teens about sexual related health and rights, provide writing materials, clothes and food items to people living in rural communities. Doing this I have helped to solve a little of their needs and thereby solve the SDGoals of 1,2,3 and 16.
One of the biggest challenges I faced is trying to explain to people that there is no free cash flowing into the pockets of volunteers. Many people believe that as a volunteer you have excess cash that’s why you do what you do. Another one is that some people who we see as leaders one way or the other still bill us excessively like we are doing what we were doing because we want to reap off funds. For instance, a community leader demanded we give him some of the items we plan to give the children.
I feel the government can help out in making policies that will aid the smooth and proper functioning of NGOs. Take for instance if an NGO is to hold an outreach it will be nice if we can get free security personnel, free venue and the likes. Another thing is that to register an NGO is costlier than registering other organizations. This hindered a lot of people from creating a body that can infer proper solutions to a diverse societal problem.
My advice to youth is that do what you have to do to better humanity when you can, don’t wait until you are old and tired.
Youth Engagement For Global Action
Written by Anietie Etuk, Gwarinpa Abuja
Universal Optimist, 09042982521, 08080032484
Given the high rate of youth restiveness and indulgence in kidnapping, rape, robbery, most youths used as political thugs at their own detriment, involvement in crimes of all sort, violence etc
Assured future of the youths, young, vulnerable and the disabled in our localities is guarantee by the level of assistance to which they can get therefore granting access to education, skill acquisition, financial empowerment, sensitization and awareness campaigns will go miles in widening their horizon and mindset tailored towards, boosting the economy, job creation, address unemployment through entrepreneurship, inform society, which will brave up to hold government responsive to her and raise audible voice for consistent government policies to promote the interest and welfare of her youth and society at large.
Project: PROJECT OPTIMIST CHILD (EDUCATION)
Project optimist child was birthed, this project was undertaken in line with our belief of cultivating the future of humanity. our focus is to identify and reinstate pupil and students who may have drop out of school or unable to meet up with their financial obligation and other academic necessities. Therefore, the school project was launch in November 2019 at LEA primary and secondary school, 3rd avenue gwarinpa, FCT Abuja, currently master Suleiman who is a single parent-child, a primary 5B pupil has been identified and we have taken full responsibility for his academic pursuit and also Moses a JSS2 student in the secondary level is also enrolled in our optimist child education project.
Challenges: Inadequate funds for projects sustainability, limited legal support and partnership, implementation of other projects like skill acquisition, installation of Hand Wash Automated Machines to combat COVID-19 outbreak at strategic locations within gwarinpa and environs.
ADVICE TO GOVT
The absence of peace and security will continue to hampered development, therefore govt should provide security and desist from the illegal arrest of protesters thereby depriving citizens of their fundamental rights.
ADVICE TO YOUTH
Youths should maximize all opportunities enrol in various skill acquisition and vocation and desist from being used as thugs during elections.
My name is Kehinde Arogundade. I am the Project Director for Cathy Youths Innovation Enterprise.
The Project Catch Them Young is an initiative of Cathy Youths Innovation Enterprise a youth Led nonprofit organization that seeks to provide Nigerian youth and secondary school students with market-driven technical skills and training in crafts and trade that will enable them to secure steady, well-paying jobs in Nigeria and become productive members of society and the community.
It will also provide personal and social competencies, and impact key skills and abilities required in working life both in rural and urban areas. The focus will be on providing short and long term; hands-on competency-based training programs which equip trainees with skills, entrepreneurial acumen and productive competencies needed for employment in the economy.
By enhancing the skills base, the initiative participates directly to the contribution of our nations quality education (SDG Goal 4) and promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (SDG Goal 8).
CATHY has empowered and trained young people within Ado-odo Ota Local Government in Ogun State on the importance of Vocational skills and Career development which will build their self-reliance skills and reduce their dependence on a white-collar job.
CATHY has empowered over 800 public secondary school students in Ogun State on Vocational and entrepreneur skills. We also trained over 100 community youths on vocational and Digital Marketing Skills.
In 2019 we partnered with Laroche Foundation in Lagos where we organized 6 weeks free digital skills training for teenagers. 79 participants, we’re certified and given learning materials.
In recent time our major challenges are financial constraint.
The Government needs to approve vocational and technical education as a compulsory subject in all secondary schools in Nigeria, with this policy students will be ready and value their career.
As the global economy continues to recover slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force is the order of the day not to talk of the underutilization of women in the workforce. My vision synchronizes with the 8th goal on the SDG which is “Decent Work and Economic growth”.
I am Jayeola Fadare. I live in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. I own Hadassah Collections; A hub for fabrics that speak culture and class, the moderator of Q&A with Jayeola (an online platform where societal issues are discussed), a broadcast Journalist and a serial volunteer. Life is not all bed of roses, I go through the challenges of raising funds to boost my business, getting my customers to like my products amidst new and old competitors etcetera. My advice to the government is that new policies should be formulated to give small and medium scale enterprises a conducive and favourable environment to work with. In addition, the person chosen to oversee this affair should be incorruptible. The inclusion of vocational studies in the school curriculum from basic to tertiary levels should also be implemented to reduce the rate of unemployed youths in Nigeria. To the youths, unemployment should not be seen as a disease rather we should find something doing. We shouldn’t wait for the government to do everything. If they aren’t doing what is expected of them, let’s teach them how to. Let’s change the notion that our generation is “lazy”!
I reach out to people on
Facebook: @Busayo Fadare
Twitter: @jayeolafadare
Instagram: @Jahbusayomi_3 @QandAwithJayeola
My name is Ijauka Solomon, a Fashionprenure and a Trainer based in Abuja Nigeria. I am the pioneer of ‘ngsol Collections’ where we make Fashion accessories using Crafts and Weaves, these crafts are used for complimenting apparel for the fashion inclined folks, decorative purposes etc.
Our vision is to empower as many PWDs (Persons Living with Disabilities) that we can as they are one among the most vulnerable groups in the society.
We can be communicated back to via phone calls and the use of our social media platforms using the details below.
- Phone no. +2347036913311
- Facebook/twitter ngsol Collections
- INSTAGRAM; #ngsolex
Our vision cuts across the goal 1, 2, 8 and 9 of the SDG goal 2030.
As an Entrepreneur in Nigeria, our major challenge is government unstable policies as regards importation and their look warm approach towards home-based extracted raw materials. These policies bring discouragement as it inflates the cost of production, thereby making sales poor.
The government should focus more on investing in the extraction of raw materials that would ease access to raw materials and create employment opportunities.
My advice to Nigerian youths is to embrace Entrepreneurship as it’s the way to develop our country.
