A Non-governmental organisation in Benin City, Women Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC), recently organised a grand event to celebrate the International Youth Day. The event was put together to raise public awareness about youth issues and the need for stakeholders to invest in youth development.
The chairman on the ocassion Professor I. Ibeh, in his opening remark, stressed the importance of the youth in every community and the need for such forum, to formulate policies and programs to address the mounting challenges of youths in the country.
In her keynote address titled, ‘Understanding Fela, his music and message to the youth,” the MD/CEO of The New Africa Shrine and daughter of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ms Yeni Kuti, highlighted the major challenges of Nigeria as bad leadership and corruption, condemning the immoral acts youths engage in, which jeopardise their chances of success in life.
“It is of great importance that today’s generation be constantly reminded of and instilled with good values and morality as it is the way only to build youth with a vision.”
She concluded that Nigeria would only make meaningful progress if the younger generations were guided in the right direction and allowed to take the mantle of leadership.
The Executive Director of WHARC, Professor Cyril Mokwenye, in his remarks, advised the youth to learn leadership from good models in the society whose character stood them out.
Another major highlight of the ocassion was the award of prizes to winners of the International Youth Day essay contest titled, “What would you ask your government to do to promote youth development?”. A student of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Akanji Gabriel, was the overall winner and went with the grand prize of a 15 inch laptop, while Olawin Oludare of Mashood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta and Isola Taiwo of the University of Maiduguri came second and third respectively, winning a mini laptop and a Nokia Lumia phone respectively.
A participant at the event, Joy Oboite, observed that the event was highly educative and entertaining. “It is a remarkable event and I’m a better person now,” she said.
The event was concluded with dinner and entertainment of guests.
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