Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The National President of Junior Chambers International, Sandra Efemuaye has declared the readiness of the international youth organization to support the planned national youth conference as announced by President Bola Tinubu.
Efemuaye who disclosed this at a press briefing held on the side lines of the JCI National Convention in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, noted that though the youth confab may not necessarily solve all the issues fuelling youth confrontation with the government or stagnating their growth, a platform would have been provided to hear the youth out and see how they could better be integrated and supported to build a more virile and prosperous nation.
The national convention which is attracting over 1,000 youth delegates is themed “Inspiring the Future”.
She noted that the planned national youth conference is an encouraging step towards carrying along young people in the task of nation-building.
“The Youth Confab is a wonderful development, it is a welcome development for us in JCI that has been interacting with the youth globally for over a century and in Nigeria for over 50 years.
“We are already exchanging correspondences with the Ministry of Youths Development to see how we can all collaborate to make life better for our youths.
“I am particularly commending the President for this initiative. It is a right step towards the right direction because statistics have shown that over 45 percent of the country’s population is made up of the youth and the youth are the future of any nation.
“So if the youth are given better attention, better skills and adequately supported, we won’t just have a better nation but a better society as well. The confab may not provide all the solutions to our problems but we would have started making appreciable steps towards fruitful engagement to further make the country great while carrying the youth along”, she said.
She described JCI as a global youth organization that has been in existence globally for over 100 years and 50 years in Nigeria and its membership for youth aged between 18 to 40.
Efemuaye said that in the last one year, the organization has been able to provide support and mentorship for many youths all of which are directed towards making them outstanding and contribute meaningfully to building an economically vibrant and peaceful nation.
Speaking earlier, the International President ofJCI, Mr Kaven Kumaravel said that he was in the country to push forthe organization’s campaign on human duties.
Kumaravel said that concentrations and emphasis have always been on human rights but that it is also essential to begin to point out human duties so that people can live responsibly and take responsibility for their actions.
One of the keynote speakers at the conference, the Ogun State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabimtan appreciated the youth for organising such a national event to acquire requisite leadership skills
Olabimtan said that the theme of the youth programme has shown that the youth are thinking and should therefore remain positive while also embracing the right values to see them through the challenging time
“My message to the youth is to stay back and help in resolving the issue. After all, we only have Nigeria The youth should be ready to stand despite the bad times. They should stay positive and resilient. For every bad time there is an opportunity for growth and new innovation.
“They should rather think through, survey for the opportunity and move up the ladder. There is money and progress to be made in the country. I will rather advocate that our youth should stay positive and resilient. They should embrace the right values and take charge of their life and we will all be better for it”.