Youthville

YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #161

Friday, Fr riid da ay y, D De December ece cemb mbe err 1 15, 5,, 2 5 2017 017

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youthville@dailytrust.com

...young at heart

Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion.

– Tony Hsieh

Govt should sustain youth empowerment Gombe wins policies to achieve results — Kohol 2017 National ICT Chris Kohol is the national president of the Young WHIZKIDS contest Entrepreneurs of Nigeria. In this exclusive interview with E Daily Trust, he discusses the relevance and challenges of young entrepreneurs in the Nigerian setting and advocates for more government intervention.

By Philip Shimnom Clement

W

hat have you been doing to promote youth entrepreneurship?

One thing I will like the Nigerian youth to know is the ability to develop ideas in such a manner that it can eventually yield tangible results.

Working very hard as entrepreneurs is just the only way they can make their life better and even reduce the alarming rate of unemployment. We try to explore ways which they can key into entrepreneurship activities to see how they can better their lives and their immediate environment because we feel development is very essential to kick start in the grassroots.

You recently had a youth summit in Abuja, what were your deliberations?

The purpose of the summit was

g to galvanize the youth and be able to emp empower youth entrepreneurship dev development and we have empowered ab about 70,000 youths across the n nation.

How large is your membership base?

We have about 8.9 million members across the 36 states of the federation, in the United States of America and in the United Kingdom.

What are your plans for the entrepreneurship network in Nigeria?

In the year coming we want to make the network worldwide in other countries. Our major project now is to expand our membership and presence beyond Africa and penetrate developing countries as we have Nigerians there who are not gainfully employed to encourage them on how to be productive.

What is your view about youth who leave Nigeria to seek for jobs abroad?

First and foremost the blame is to be shared, from the part of government and the youths. On the part of youths, they are to be blamed because they couldn’t see any venture to key in, but rather leave the country illegally and find themselves in this mess. Also on the part of the government, I feel they should do better especially in the area

of unemployment which is the main cause of the modern slave trade we are encountering today in.

How do you think the problem of unemployment can be addressed?

One of the problems that make unemployment persist in this Nigeria is that there have been a lot of policies on ground that has been put in place by the government but the major challenge is the sustenance of such policies. We have the YouWin and the Anchor Borrowers Programme and a whole lot but if you take a close look at them, accessibility of such programmes has always been a problem.

An enabling environment ought to be created so that these young people to thrive in their various businesses.

You can’t prosper or succeed under unfavourable business conditions.

So I think if the environment is good, nothing will make them leave this country.

What have been the challenges that YEN has experienced?

I think what our members are facing is adequate funding especially in the aspect of accessing loans through financial institutions like the Bank of Industry or the Central Bank of Nigeria. So in situation where funding is difficult, it slows that interest in engaging in some ventures due to financial constraints.

From Haruna Gimba Yaya, Gombe @Haroungimba Two Gombe based private schools, Pen Resource Academy and Gombe High School, have emerged winners at the 2017 National Information Technology Whiz Kid Competition held in Abuja.

The Pen Resource Academy emerged overall winners while Gombe High School beats other schools to clinched third position in a competition organized by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) for secondary schools nationwide.

They both received a desktop computer, printer, tablet and certificates of recognition from the NCS. Presenting the prizes to the schools, the North-East Coordinator of the NCS, Engr. Gambo Abdullahi Shehu said the competition was created to encourage amd promote ICT among young Nigerians.

He explained that both schools have done the North-East proud, a zone ravaged by the activities of insurgents.

Principal of Pen Resource Academy, Dr Stanley Maikano said the school has maintained high standards since it was established in 2012.

He said the school will integrate 60 per cent British Curriculum and 40 per cent Nigerian curriculum in its primary and secondary school by 2018, to boost the students’ performance in their internal and external examinations.

The state Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Isa Mohammed Wade, pledged to make sure that one of the public schools in the state is among the winners in next years’ competition.

2019: Youth urged to resist craves for Tech firm to give N10m to young entrepreneurs electoral violence From Risikat Ramoni, Lagos Genesys Tech Hub has promised to award a seed investment worth over N10 million in cash and support to three young start-ups selected by judges in the technology conference tagged GenesysIGNITE. The tech firm said 1,000 participants have already registered to participate in the conference which will be held today, December

15, 2017 in Enugu.

“It is interesting to note that a total of 147 start-ups entered for the competition and at the end of the day, nine of them were selected to pitch before a panel of judges made up Mohammed Ibrahim, Founder of Startup Arewa; Ommo Clark, CEO of iBez Solutions; Kolapo Ogungbile, Manager at Heartland Incubation

Hub (Oluaka); Kayode Oyewole, Manager at Ventures Platform; Uche Aniche, Founder of Startups South; Obi Asika, Chairman of Dragon Africa; and Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., Presenter, Tech Trends on Channels TV,” the company said in a statement.

Speaking ahead of the selection process, Founder of GenesysTechHub, Kingsley Eze expressed

optimism and confidence in the credibility as well as the wealth of experience of the judges.

In his view, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., Presenter, Tech Trends on Channels TV said the main objective of the conference was to discuss latest technology trends as it affects the region and to proffer professional insights particularly for the participating start-ups.

I never thought of graduating with 1st Class — ABU graduand From Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos Aliu Abdullateef Eleran, an indigene of Ilorin, Kwara State, was the cynosure during the recent convocation of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria having emerged as the best graduate.

The Accounting graduate had done an advanced level programme, IJMB in Kwara State College of Education School of Basic and Remedial Studies in 2013 before he gained admission into the university.

The 23 year old who won the

departmental and faculty award in a chat with Daily Trust Youth Ville described his feat as a blessing from God. He said, “I thank Almighty Allah for His blessings, favour and guidance on me. I consider the success a big blessing from Allah.

Really, I didn’t start with a first class Grade Point (GP) and I wasn’t even thinking of graduating with it at first though I always believe any feat is achievable.

“I started thinking of it when I was in second semester 200- level when my results started to improve

and I was really determined and prayerful. Glory be to God, today I am the best graduating student in Kongo Campus with CGPA of 4.78,” Eleran noted.

He was spurred to graduate in flying colours by the encouragement and support of his parents.

Part of his challenges was adjusting himself to the new environment, financial challenges among others but he surmounted them.

The accountant to be advised the Youths to be determined, work hard, pray harder and stay guided.

By Taiwo Adeniyi As the 2019 general elections draw closer, Nigerian youth have been urged to resist any crave to engage in electoral violence to enriching themselves.

The National Chairman of National Liberation Forum (NLF), Engr Haleem Hassan, made this call in a statement after the inauguration of interim executive officials, who would sensitise youths on improved national leadership.

Hassan lamented that the violence recorded in most parts of Nigeria are as a result of youths engaged by selfish politicians, who armed them with dangerous weapons to perpetrate violence during elections.

He said that Nigeria would only have the true transformation the country long for, if the youths are given the opportunity to take charge of over 80 per cent of the leadership roles in the country.

“The youth should be given the opportunity to take over the leadership affairs of Nigeria, because this country needs fresh ideas and initiatives that will change the situation of Nigeria for the better.

“We are tired of old ideas that are been recycled for years by our aged leaders without positive results,” he explained.

Hassan also blamed the youth for being used and dumped by selfish prehistoric politicians who always neglected them in leadership positions.

DAILY TRUST, Friday, December 15, 2017

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NYSC launches portal for job hunters, employers From Sunday Michael Ogwu, Lagos The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has launched a Curriculum Vitae (CV) web repository and Job Portal to help corps members become gainfully employed after their service year.

The portal which is the brain child of the NYSC Lagos State Coordinator, the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) team and a group of Corps members, was launched by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General S.

Z Kazaure in Lagos recently.

It provides the links between outgoing corps members seeking white collar jobs and employers of labour who desire to employ qualified graduates based on their jobs specifications.

Kazaure said despite the obvious difficulty of securing white collar jobs and the overriding benefits of self-employment, a good number of our graduates are still inclined to trying their luck with paid employment.

“The portal we are launching will among other benefits, serve as a platform for Corps members to

get information on job vacancies and market themselves to prospective employers, serve as a large pool for employers searching for suitable candidates, and provide means of verification of credentials,” he noted.

The Vice President, Business Development West, Sigma Pensions Limited, Mrs Mabel George expressed satisfaction at the project saying, “We are so excited that people can get employed and in turn have savings for their future. I see this as a wonderful initiative by the NYSC.”

ADE Digital to empower youth with innovative skills

By Opeyemi Kehinde @kennysous A leading digital marketing agency in Nigeria, ADE Digital Media, has promised to empower youth with digital skills aimed at encouraging digital innovations across Africa.

The Chief Executive Officer and cofounder of ADE Digital, Mr. Michael Ebia, disclosed this at an event organised to mark its third anniversary in Lagos.

According to him, the initiative aims at promoting an understanding of the possibilities digital solutions provide in improving the socio-economic possibilities of Africans, as well as provide a platform for Africa’s digizens (digital citizens) to experiment and create innovative solutions that are commercially viable.

He said: “Free Digital seeks to accelerate the digital inclusion that is required to achieve the continent’s human development outcomes.”

Ebia noted that Africa has made a lot of progress in digital technology adoption, adding that “but for us to fully harness the Book review: TEENAGE LEADERSHIP CAPSULE Author: ADEDAMOLA AKEWUSHOLA Reviewer: YOUTHVILLE The book, Teenage Leadership Capsule (TLC) was written by the young author doing his one year mandatory NYSC scheme in Jos, Plateau state. He believes tthe book contains tips to h e l p i in the b building of le leadership ro roles of Nigerian you youth.

T The book focu focuses on leadership sayin saying it is the ability to practice, emula emulate and turn in into habit,

potential of digital technology in improving human outcomes on the continent, we need to expand the current demographic scope for digital.”

The ‘Free Digital’ initiative will educate demand and supply-side stakeholders on the various opportunities digital technology provides in improving human development outcomes in education, healthcare, citizenship, commerce, job creation, he noted. character and traits which would add up to eventually make such an individual become not only influential but a role model.

The author impressed on the reader that man should learn the art of sacrificing wants for needs just as he speaks on respect.

“Gone are the days where respect to not only elders was key. The place we find ourselves today, respect is on the side lines. But TLC has given light to such a heavy topic which people view as a minor.

Habib said the book gives candid advice to teenagers on making and keeping friends.

“I grew up knowing that a true friend would show up when you are facing something truly severe,” he noted.

He said the book concluded with tips on picking a career and that one is never too young to start mapping out a career plan.

Habib said: “Dream killers walk the streets. They would look you straight in the eyes and shatter the foundation that you have worked so hard putting together.”

He said, “Only a fool knows everything.”

He also urged youth to ignore the sounds of the future killers and gracefully ask questions where they should.

Rapper tours 25 tertiary institutions, thrills 20,000 students From Risikat Ramoni, Lagos

R

a y m o n d Aboriomoh popularly called Dremo Drizzy has toured over 25 tertiary institutions during his three months nationwide tour, he said.

The tour tagged

YOUTHVILLE

the Dremo Xperience tour saw him thrilling over 20,000 students at Baze University in Abuja, Kwara State University in Ilorin, and University of Ibadan among others.

The rapper cum recording artiste signed on to Davido Music Worldwide

performed songs like Felaback, Ojere, WHO, and many more.

Students were also treated to pulsating performances from Wale Turner, Flex B, Dapo Turburna, Bella, among others.

The Explicit organizes Christmas concert for IDPs

By Chidimma C. Okeke The Explicit, a group of young talented and gifted artists made up of singers and producers has downplayed its usual Christmas Carol concert in town to mark it with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Abuja, to give them a sense of belonging.

The President of the Explicit, Jakins Arome said as a group, they came together to touch the lives of this generation through community outreach programmes from the proceeds of their singing.

“We put our proceeds together to see how we can support the less privilege in the society,” he said.

Arome said, “Instead of us to do the usual big concert in hotels, rent space, pay for artists, I prefer to buy hundred bags of rice with the money to give to this people that is my own ideology of Christmas,” he added.

While noting that they cancelled an invitation to perform somewhere just to be with the IDPs, he said “We have been going

around singing and we have been blessed one way or the other, why don’t we give back to the society, that’s what informed the decision of being here.”

The group also donated some items to help the people clean up and get ready for festive period and also pledges to return to the camp to donate rice and other food items a day before Christmas.

The group said government is trying but it cannot do it alone, but governments need to know that they can also affect the lives of one person and the other affects another, so it can grow.

Too little efforts to protect kids online — UNICEF

By Judd-Leonard Okafor The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said too little has been done to protect children from the perils of the digital world and increase their access to safe online content.

Its flagship “State of the World’s Children” report focusing on children in a digital world, explores how digital technology is affecting children’s lives and life chances, identifying dangers as well as opportunities.

Young people are the most connected age group worldwide: nearly 7 in 10 young people are online, compared with half of the total population.

It said governments and the private sector have not kept up with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harms while leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children behind.

“For better and for worse, digital technology is now an irreversible fact of our lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

For disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty of affected by humanitarian emergencies, digital technology offers access to information, builds skills for the digital workplace, and gives them a platform to connect and communicate their views.

But one in every three youth around the world, around 346 million people, are not online, worsening inequities and reducing their ability to take part in a digital economy.

African youth are the least connected: around 3 in 5 youth are offline, compared with one in 25 in Europe.

UNICEF said only collective action can “level the digital playing field” and make internet safer and more accessible.

It recommends affordable access to high-quality online resources, protecting children from harm online, safeguarding their privacy and identities, and teaching digital literacy to keep children informed, engaged and safe.

If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary - Jim Rohn