INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: LAGOS COMMISSIONER CHALLENGES YOUTHS TO BE PURPOSE-DRIVEN

… Organises 7-Day Empowerment Initiative In Alimosho

Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf has challenged youths across the State to add value to their immediate society regardless of the numerous inhibiting factors around them. 

Akinbile-Yusuf made the plea recently at the commencement of a training programme tagged “Moremi Development Youth Programme”, a goodwill programme and her personal initiative for youths in Alimosho area of the State to commemorate the year 2020 International Youth Day celebration.

Speaking on the theme of the annual event, “Youths Engagement for Global Action”, the Commissioner called on youths to be deliberate in their actions and intentions by not being averse to little beginnings. 

“I have decided to put this training programme together for youths in Alimosho, my constituency, in order to get the best out of them such that they can unleash their potentials, develop their innermost gifts and position their minds with the hope that greater opportunities await them in the future”, Akinbile-Yusuf explained.

She hinted that the week-long training programme, which has over 100 participants, will hold both physically and virtually to cover diverse areas of human endeavour, including entrepreneurship and employability skills among others.

The Commissioner said that the zeal to organise the training programme resulted from a similar project successfully put together during her tenure as the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, noting that some past beneficiaries of the programme now occupy leadership positions in their respective disciplines and localities. 

She urged the participants not to be confined or limited by their academic qualifications, saying, “Your course of study or university degree is only meant to expose and widen your horizon and as such, you should not limit yourselves to what you have learnt in school alone”. 

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatals Monitoring Office, PMO, Mr.  Afolabi Ayantayo, in his remarks at the event, commended the Commissioner for her passion towards youth development in her constituency. 

Speaking on the theme for the Y2020 International Youth Day celebration, Ayantayo stated that the theme also implores the Nigeria government to make good governance available to the people so that citizens, especially the youth, can also make meaningful contributions to the development of the country. 

“Government must play its own role in making sure that the aspirations of the youth are met, this is not to say that the youth also do not have their roles to play. They must be serious-minded and set realistic goals for themselves”, the Special Adviser added.