YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #101
Friday, October 21 21, 1, 2016
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youthv youthville@dailytrust.com
...young at heart
The secret of eternal youth is arrested development. – Alice Roosevelt Longworth
NYSC must reform to engage youth in economic growth Michael Ataga Enahoro, is the Managing Director of Kuro Communications, a innovation and project management firm in Abuja. Mr. Enahoro spoke strategy, innov with YOUT YOUTHVILLE on the need for a reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to stem crises that could arise from planned cut in mobilization of potential potentia corps members, while growing economy.
Text by Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun
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ow has your youth innovation firm fared since you started? I have always been curious as a person and that led me to study engineering. I set up this company after 17 years of working with multinational telecommunication companies including MTN Nigeria. I setup Kuro Communications in 2010 and have worked on designing projects – concept developments which I offer to the Nigeria government. We were part of the consultants that worked with the Dangote presidential committee on job reforms in 2009 to 2011 and that
‘j led to the ‘job creation’ mantra hea today. people hear ne The new mantra we are pushing into the Nigerian en environment is Y Youth Economic Engagement. We did our research in the last two years and found that y youth economic eng engagement is the key precursor before going into job creation. How have you demonstrated youth engagement in your firm? About 99 per cent of my staff are youth, and a lot of our concepts are designed by young people. I am also a champion of government’s youth engagement and empowerment scheme. We retain 20 per cent of all those who served with us for about three years and then send them to work for others. Since 2010, we have graduated 104 corps members and hope that in 10 years, we would have empowered 500 young Nigerians. What is the effect if the NYSC mobilisation is reduced to 35%? The NYSC has not changed since it was created in 1973 to suit the changing economic situation in the country over the last 35 years. The reform that is required should
2Baba, others step out in celebrity fans challenge Text from Nurudeen Oyewole, Lagos Leading musical acts including Tuface Idibia (2Baba), Peter and Paul Okoye (P- Square), Olamide - Badoo, among others are scheduled to participate in the third edition of Merrybet Celebrity Fans Challenge. At a briefing in Lagos, the project producer, Kiibati Bankole said the idea is to bring entertainers together and share their sport knowledge and have fun with their numerous fans. Bankole said renowned local celebrities have identifiable football clubs which they support with hundreds of followers too. She said it would be a great delight to find these celebrities engaging in
football challenge and quiz competitions, testing their knowledge of football clubs they represent. Peter Okoye of the P-Square who said he is a great fan of Chelsea football Club, England, urged other supporters of the club not to lose faith in its chances to top the premiership table and also play in the Champions League. The two other musicians: Falz and Orezi who were at the briefing also declared their loyalty to Arsenal football club, England. The project sponsored by Merrybet also witnessed the unveiling of Falz, Orezi and P-Square as brand ambassador for the organisation. The event is slated for December 3, 2016.
be tailored towards the prevailing economic situation. The NYSC has been working on placing over 150,000 persons annually but there is misalignment in the placement by almost 80 per cent. The misalignment is in placing people in government offices rather than in productive environment that generate the most returns on economic activities. What is your definition for an NYSC reform? The NYSC has no direction until it is reformed. What we need to do now is to quantify how many people we need in the agricultural space, in medicine, agro-processing value chain, manufacturing, security and public/private sector support. With this data, the scheme can then match placements with the sector demands. We are also taking this concept down to the tertiary institutions where in at the final year of a potential corps member must be engaged. We need to rejig tertiary institutions so that graduates in final year could register in the field, engaging them in seminars and fieldworks for over six months so the NYSC can retool them towards the most needed sector of the economy when they get to their Service year. We also need to look at placement and locations in line with economic demand. If there is need for more doctors in the northeast, then draft more corps doctors there; it should not be a flat rate as it is done by the NYSC now; it should be according to the areas of demand.
On engaging the final year students, Israel, Germany and Russia have done it and it has proven successful when they economically engage their graduates. Why do you see this reform as urgent in this recession? It is a state of emergency where we need to push out about 11 million graduates; nine million have graduated with no job and another one million graduates are coming out of the system this year. So we need to act fast. The NYSC now has to be realigned to work with the budget of the year and that to come, by meeting the statistics work force demand of the various economic sectors. Do you foresee challenges without these reforms when the 35% mobilization policy begins? To attain a viable economic enabler, the NYSC needs to be reformed. The NYSC should begin with final year students by constantly engaging them while studying the labour demands of the present economy; we can then retool graduates into the relevant high-demand industries like the agriculture sector. On the proposed cut in mobilisation, if by December and in February when the next NYSC group is coming and you are only taking 35 per cent, then parents will go crazy. Security challenges will increase because the criminality and vices like kidnapping will be higher if it is perpetuated by educated people who are deprived of going for Service.
Northern youth laud FG over arrest of judges Text from Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna The Arewa Youth Agenda (AYA) has lauded the zeal exhibited by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration over the arrest of judges on alleged corruption charges. The group in a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity, Malam Musa Ibrahim Bere said the action by the federal government shows the seriousness in fighting corruption. It however frowned at the recent comment made by the President’s wife, saying “She ought to understand that her husband is an independent leader who is not under any body’s influence.” “We want to give kudos to President Buhari for his unrelenting fight against
An anti-corruption billboard in Buea, Cameroon. Credit: Michigan + Math + Africa - WordPress.com
corruption. We urged him not to be distracted by the comments of some elements that have been feeding on such unholy act to the detriment of majority of
Nigerians. “Corruption must be rooted out in all its ramifications if at all Nigeria will make any meaningful progress,” it said.
DAILY TRUST, Friday, October 21, 2016
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It takes creativity, consistency to thrive in business – Ifunanya
By Latifat Opoola (@LatifatOpoola)
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oing business is a serious task and entrepreneur, Evangeline Ifunanya Anumba, a fashion designer said possessing creativity and being consistent are just the right recipes to succeeding. The political science graduate of Rhema University names her clothing line ‘Evas Clothsmith’. She told YOUTHVILLE that she learnt sewing while in the university during long vacations. She said: “I would look for a fashion designer near me, pay and
start going goi there every day. S So during my NYSC NYSC, it wasn’t hard for me to decide wh what I wanted to do. I attended Sabificate Ins Institute, an Entr Entrepreneurship/ Leadership place where young persons are empowered. “There, I learnt how to make money out of it while I still joined their fashion designing class. I extensively married the internet (I still do) for lots of research to enrich myself; today, it’s paying off,” she explained. Eva who hopes to inspire, impact and empower on women said she started the business because she loves everything about fashion, and creativity. The young employer who started the business with N100,000 said fashion designing is a lucrative business, if one
Leadership training, key to nation building – Foundation Text from Omobayo Azeez, Lagos A non-governmental organization (NGO), How Foundation, has said that leadership training for Nigerian youth is key to reconfiguring the nation for a better future. At a leadership training programme it organized in Lagos in partnership with Genero, a United Kingdom based company; it was stressed that while the country focuses on present problems, it must as well secure its future by equipping today’s youth with high leadership qualities. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Miss Antonia Ally said this could be achieved by supporting teenagers on their passions, noting that this would help in diversifying skills among youths. “Today’s young people are moving away from what used to be studied as a means to be more ‘employable’ such as business, law and medicine and are ready to invest in their passions such as video production, fashion and other entrepreneurial ventures,” she said. The founder and CEO of Access Plc, Herbert Wigwe said, “the future of this nation cannot be left in the hands of the government alone. Everybody has a role to play. In fact, if I were not the CEO of Access Bank, I would have had more time to focus on youth.”
understands the target customer wants. Eva’s major challenge is the rise in credit patronage. “I don’t know if I should blame that on the recession, but the challenge is having people owe you without flinching; but then I have to devise a means to make safe transactions. Dealing with online customers is another problem. I do understand that there are dupes and I don’t blame the customers’ decision on not paying till they get their products,” she noted. She called other youth to start something no matter how little stressing that they think and make your life count and leave a mark. “Now when you eventually start, stay on it, consistency is the key. It might not be easy now but if you stay on it, you will get to your destination, because the truth is, nothing good comes easy,” she advised.
Shell supports 60 Ogoni entrepreneurs Text from Mohammed Shosanya,Lagos Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture has trained 60 youth on entrepreneurship skills, business planning, management and pitching in Ogoniland, Rivers state. Fifty of the trainees who succeeded in the final assessment received start-up funds for their business ideas under the LiveWIRE Nigeria programme. The youth were from the four Ogoni local governments of Gokana, Tai, Eleme and Khana. At the graduation ceremony held in Port Harcourt, six beneficiaries of a similar programme in 2015 received ‘The Young Business Leaders’ award for being outstanding in their businesses. “We’re pleased that the LiveWIRE programme has continued to make positive impact not only on the lives of the latest beneficiaries but also on youths in the Niger Delta,” said Igo Weli, General Manager External Relations, in a speech at the ceremony. The Director Enterprise and Promotion in the Rivers State Ministry of Youth Development, Christian Bogba said, ‘I pray that other companies borrow a leaf from what the SPDC Joint Venture have done today by contributing to the improvement of the economic wellbeing of the people and promote peace.” A total of 6,350 youth from the Niger Delta have been trained since SPDC introduced the LiveWIRE Nigeria programme in 2003, with 50 per cent of them assisted to become business owners and employers of labour.
YOUTHVILLE
‘71 Kuje Prisoners wrote 2015 WAEC’
Text by Joshua Odeyemi The Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Federal Capital Territory Command has said 71 of its inmates sat for the November/December 2015 West Africa Examination Council (WAEC). The Prison’s Education Desk Officer, Inspector Adikwu owoicho told Daily Trust on Tuesday that 74 inmates were registered but three candidates were discharged before the commencement of the examination. From the records made available, the Kuje prison centre recorded a total of 38 Distinction, 166 Credits, 211 Passes and 111 Failures out of the 65 results released. While commending the performance of the inmates, Owoicho said lack of teachers and textbooks in key subjects like Mathematics, English, Chemistry and Physics was affecting their overall performance. Only one inmate was able to record a Credit pass in Mathematics while 24 scored above 50 percent in English language. The Officer in Charge of the Prison, Deputy Controller of Prison, Akilo Abdullahi who commended the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) Church for enrolling the inmates in WAEC, said the needs of the inmates were more than just writing examinations. “Most Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and NGOs think the problem of the inmates is only about payment of fines and examination fees,” he said.
From left: H.E Godfrey Odudigbo (Charge d' Affaires a.i Nigeria Embassy), Hajiya Raheemat Momodu (President, Nigeria Women in Ethiopia -NWIE), Amb. Layi-Kayode Iyanda (Coordinator Independent Team of Consultant AUC 2017 Election) and Mrs Nwando Okafor (Vice President NWIE) cutting Nigeria's 56th Independence cake at the maiden Nigeria Citizens Interactive Session organized by NWIE in Addis Ababa. Photo: NWIE
Using Emojis on social media could grow your brand Text by Bamas Victoria @Bamas Victoria
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f you are big on social media marketing which is the rave now, Emoji also referred to as ideograms and smileys used in electronic messages and Web pages is something to try. Emoji are used much in similar ways like emoticons -which is facial expressions made with punctuation marks- and they include facial expressions, food, signs, common objects, places weather, animals and many more. Almost all mobile devices and social media do not just support emojis but
have entire features built around them which make it a useful tool in social media marketing. There are many ways brands can take advantage of these features like using it to replace text and responses. You can use it to replace some text or respond to a message like using a ‘thumbup’ emoji to say good job if you are engaging fans online. In addition you can include it on your Instagram Profiles, as several influencers are using it in their bio to grab attention, if you are into fashion you can sprinkle your bio here and there with clothings emojis.
On Instagram, Hashtags are king, aside from text you can actually hashtag emojis; this also applies to tumblr too. Snapchat allows you to decorate your Snaps and stories with emojis and even gives you the option to resize and rotate them and place them where you see fit. This is also applicable when posting photos via Facebook mobile app. For Twitter Stickers with Twitters recent added stickers feature you can now emojis to photos and if you tap or click on a sticker, it leads to a search page where you can see how other users are using that sticker in their tweets.
If you sleep in youth, you’ll cry in your old age. – Sardinian Proverb