YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #119
Friday, February 24, 2017
08078068532
...young at heart
youthville@dailytrust.com
“A strong positive selfimage is the best possible preparation for success” – Joyce Brothers
Nothing kills dream like waiting on government to employ you – Youngpreneur Abubakar Abubakar Usman Yahaya is a budding young entrepreneur with h the acumen of creating wealth through sheer hardwork and discipline. The CEO of Maimus mus Oil has created jobs for hundreds of Nigerians, empowered indigent people and built ilt a 40 bed hospital for his community. Abubakar who was recently named among Arewa ewa top 100 influential people of 2016 spoke to YOUTHVILLE about his motivations.
Text by Bamas Victoria @Bamasvictoria
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et us meet you? I live and do my business in Port Harcourt ,River State. I attended Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja then Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. I have computer training course from NIIT and did course on peace and conflict resolution USA online. What kind of business are you into? I am into petroleum products sales and hauling. This is an offshoot of my father’s line of business so I grow into it. Following years of taciturn apprentice, I borrowed the business sense of my father to be where I am today. By the special grace of God Maimus Oil is one of the oil companies competing alongside other oil majors in Nigeria. Have you done a white collar job before? I have never put up an application for any job any where. However, I’m motivated by my inner desire to do multiple tasks , create opportunities that is sustaining. This decision put me away from the restrictions of paid employment. Working for someone or organization and waiting for the month to end before I get paid has never appealed to me. Nothing kills dream like waiting on government to employ you.
Everyman was created to turn things around using his hands. What are the skills sets needed for one to toe your line of business? You don’t need any specific skills rather you should have personal discipline and be prudent with finance . By learning the robes of management, I have come to term that for any business to succeed you must be disciplined, prudent and accountable. Above all, those working for you must be duly paid their wages. How does it feel to be listed among arewa 100? I am reminded of the words of Allah in Q2Vs264’ O you who believe! Do not render in vain your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men.....’ Haven said this, I feel honored by being among the recipient of arewa 100 but don’t see awards as a measure of human achievement. What can be done to promote the culture of philanthropy and voluntary services in Nigeria? By virtue of the two major faiths in this country, even Africa traditional religion , the virtue and culture of philanthropy is embeded in our spiritual life as there is much emphasis on it in the two major religions in this country. African culture encourages philanthropy and
Foundation launches books, promotes actions on sickle cell Text by Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun
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he Babajide Olowodola Foundation (BOF) based in Abuja has launched two books authored by its founder, Pastor Babajide Olowodola to promote actions on sickle cell disease. Speaking at the launch of the books: ‘Oasis in the Desert’ and ‘Reflections’ in Abuja, Olowodola decried the lack of advanced technologies to treat severe cases of diseases like the sickle cell anaemia. Olowodola who is the Senior Pastor of Foursquare Gospel Church, Asokoro recounted the experience he has had about the sickle cell disease in his family. He said, “We have gone through a long night with our last born who suffers the sickle cell disease and we don’t think another Nigerian should be allowed to go through that experience alone.”
A former minister of health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, at the book launch said: “In terms of successes in managing the disease, the earlier we can diagnose the better. That is why whatsoever funds Olowodola is able to get from here, he is going to dedicate it or a part of it to getting the equipment for early diagnosis.” He also called for more genotype education for young and intending couples to help prevent further cases of sickle cell and the crisis that comes with it. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) at the event said statistics shows that 75 per cent of sickle cell cases recorded in the world occur in Nigeria. He said government is now supporting the cause, adding that, “Let there be contributions from the general public in order to combat this particular disease which harms so many young Nigerians.”
hospitality. Hence, our religious leaders should preach and promote this noble virtue. What are the gains and challenges of being a young entrepreneur? Like all business in Nigeria, the challenge of being an entrepreneur is the lack of
infrastructure and social amenities, it degrades and destroy the little efforts you are putting up plus corruption which is quite demoralizing. Despite all these challenges, you have it at the back of your mind that you have no any other country than Nigeria, is your home which gives you the zeal to keep pushing things up and with the present government
of President Muhammadu Buhari,it gives me hope because impunity is reducing and public officials are becoming responsible and responsive to their duties which is a catalyst to business growth. Advise to young persons who want to follow your footsteps? Resilience in pursuit of genuine purpose and prayer with the right tools is a key in the pursuit of life. Thank you.
‘Worship with Volla’ reality show to hit the screen in March
Volla Worship
Text By Bamas Victoria @BamasVictoria
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gospel reality TV show, worship with Volla is set to commence airing across TV stations in the first week of March. The producer of the show, Idahosa Ernest, while briefing newsmen in Abuja, said that Worship with Volla (WWV) is a
reality show that will feature 30 minnutes of intense worship in music and acoustic performances. Accoridng to him the aim is to create a platform for self expression amongst gospel artistes. Idhaosa added that the reality TV show which will be the first of its kind in Africa will be dedicated to worshiping God. “Our goal is to expose our audience and young people even more to worship music both as an act and as a source of inspiration. We will also create a new breed of worshippers who are unashamed of the gospel”. While noting the challenges of music production in the country, one of the sponsors of the programme, Arome Jakins, said “the music industry is challenging but we are not competing with secular music.” On how they aim to sustain the programme Arome said “ We want to enrich the content of the production so as to attract sponsors for the reality show. There are a lot of people who want to support this venture but we just need to make it attractive for them to come in.”
DAILY TRUST, Friday, February 24, 2017
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YOUTHVILLE
The best way of acquiring knowledge is by teaching – Home tutor, Galadima Text by Latifat Opoola @LatifatOpoola
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The best way of acquiring knowledge is by teaching” says Samson Simon Galadima, CEO of the firm ‘Home Teachers’. Galadima had always nursed the idea of tutoring people since his secondary school days when he had to put his classmates and juniors through in their studies. “As the best student in my class then, my classmates would come to me to help them out with school work, it was from there I decided to parlay that into a profession” the Master’s Degree student of Economics, University of Abuja said. Galadima told Youthville he has been a teacher since 2002, starting with secondary school students before progressing to undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Gombe State indigene said his strengths are in the science subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, and General Mathematics. “I have teachers on stanfby, for subjects I don’t like teaching. We teach languages, I don’t teach French so I assign that to someone
else” he said. “Some subjects I am not strong at I get teachers that are strong at them to come and teach”, he added. Galadima noted that teaching used to be lucrative but decried that it no longer is. “Not any longer. Maybe it is because of the recession things are tight.” Galadima said he supports his teaching with real estate work because of the recssion.“So I support teaching with real estate business, presently I take care of somebody’s compound, and before now the compound used to be full, it used to generate a revenue about N4million in a year now the compound is almost empty, people are not coming in and those inside are struggling to pay. So there is no money anywhere, he lamented. The Home tutor at present has five candidates he teaches, three
CAMPUS GIST
Deputy Dean urges students to shun cultism
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secondary students and two undergraduates from the University of Abuja. He said even if he gets a white colar job he would continue to teach “This is what I love, if I have the time I can do it for free”. He advised youths wishing to emulate him to start from their strength even if they are not academically inclined.
Gombe College of Education matriculates 477 pioneer students Text from Haruna Gimba Yaya, Gombe
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he Gombe State College of Education, Billiri, has matriculated its first set of 477 students for the National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme. Provost of the College, Dr. Esrom Jokthan Toro, said the students were enrolled for the three-year NCE programmes in Arts and Social Sciences, Sciences, Languages, Primary Education and Early Childhood Care Education. Dr. Jokthan who spoke at the maiden matriculation ceremony
of the college held at the college permanent site in Billiri, said the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has granted the college provisional approval to commence the NCE in 49 academic programmes. Dr. Jokthan said the college has 715 students undergoing Pre-NCE and NCE I, adding that more than 90 per cent of the students in the college are indigenes of the state. In his remark, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, said the college was established to cater for the state training requirement for teachers in primary and junior
secondary schools. He said his administrations was investing huge resources to develop the educational sector, therefore he called on the students to reciprocate by devoting their time to study. Governor Dankwambo urged the students to desist from drug abuse, cultism, and other social vices. The Mai Tangle, Dr. Abdu Buba Maisheru II, expressed appreciation to Dankwambo’s administration for finding Billiri worthy of hosting the College and commended him for executing laudable projects that he said have direct bearing on the lives of people.
Kaduna lawmaker invests N40 million on youth empowerment in ICT Text from Maryam AhmaduSuka
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aduna Federal House of Re p re s e n t a t i ve s member representing Kajuru/Chikun Federal Constituency, Hon. Yakubu Umar Barde, has empowered 200 youths from his constituency with Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills. The benefiting youths selected from various sectors that will be trained in desktop publishing and website design will also be going home at the end of their training with a brand new samsung computers. Speaking on the project,
the sponsor, Hon. Barde who is the minority whip said, he felt giving knowledge will be a better source of empowerment rather than distributing motorcycles which he said most times become a liability on the beneficiaries. According to Barde the training and the free computers would cost N40,000,000. He said he has also sent two persons to the Nigeria Film College, Jos, where they will study cinematography because knowledge is the best thing that can be bequeathed on any generation. “We are training 40 youths in Kajuru LGA
illustrative photo ICT kaduna
and 60 in Chikun LGA in the first phase while the second phase which is in few months time will have 60 youths from Kajuru while Chikun will have 40,” Barde stated. Speaking on the Honourable’s gesture, former chairman of Kajuru
Local Government Hon. Abdulrasheed Yaro Kirki described the gesture as worthy of commendation. He charged the benefiting youths to take advantage of the opportunity to better their lives, their families and the society.
he Deputy Dean School of Applied Arts and Science, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Mr. Fashagba Femi, has urged students to shun cultism and social vices. Femi made this appeal at an orientation ceremony organized by Association of School of Applied Arts and Science Students (ASAASS) for Higher National Diploma(HND) One and National Diploma(ND) One at the school auditorium recently on a topic titled Eradicating Cultism and Social Vices. According to him cultism does not offer anything good to anybody rather it cuts short dreams and prevent s students from becoming better in future, adding that students should strive to protect the image of their good family by showing interest in studies so as to put smile on the face of their parents that sent them to school. Furthermore, Mr. Femi detailed that some students join cultism to avoid being suppressed and become protected which is not true because cultism doesn’t protect anybody instead it cuts short lives, he stressed the need for students to avoid any appearance of evil, obedient to lecturers and rules given to them by school management. Okeke C. Fidelis, Student of Mass Communications
Students urged to shun anti-social activities
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he Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi Dzukogi, has urged students to stay away from any form of vices or anti-social activities such as examination malpractice, cultism, indecent dressing and drug abuse. Dr. Dzukogi who stated this at the matriculation of the new admitted students, said the students should count themselves lucky for securing admission into the institution. The rector added that, plans were underway to include academic programmes, such as Agriculture programme, that would be aimed at creating job opportunity for the youths in order to diversify the nation’s economy, would be added to the academic programmes by 2017/2018. He also charged the students and the Polytechnic community to always respect the policy on dress code introduced by the management of the institution. Dr. Dzukogi remind the students that their primary aim of coming to the institution is to acquire skill which would make them to be useful in the society after graduation. Chekpa Kolo Muhammad, HND II Student of Mass Comm, FPB
MMM causes delay in payment of school fees
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s the deadline for school fees payment elapsed, Student of Federal Polytechnic Bida who invested in the MMM Nigeria ponzi scheme are thrown into confusion. An interview with a cross section of students revealed that their parents gave them the money for school fees but because they wanted to make a quick profit they invested it into the scheme. One of the students from Electrical Engineering Department, Abdulrahman Adeboye, complained that he was expecting his money after the 30 days of freezing of accounts but he is yet to get it even though he had been merged to be paid, but no one has paid him. Another student who pleaded anonymity stated that her parents gave her money for school fees and house rent since last year which she invested without thinking of the consequences. “My landlord is on my neck because I have not paid my rent and school fees now I don’t know what to do,” she said. Another student ,Vivian Emeteole ,laments that MMM is the reason why she is ‘broke’ because she invested her money in MMM and now she has to borrow from people to pay her rent before her landlord evicts her. Okoroafor Priscillia Uzechi , Mass Comm FPB
“You can not have a positive life and a nagative mind” – Joyce Meyer