YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #105
Friday, November 18, 2016 08078068532
youthville@dailytrust.com
...young at heart
Health: Integrating youth in policy formulation, the imperatives By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun
On sexual health, Ekanem Itoro of EVA urged youth to shun immorality and follow safety rules. “You should always consult the doctor immediately you notice any abnormality in your reproductive health system,” he said. Mr. Fasulu Olatubosun of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Planning, Research and Statistics along with the inmates identified the various forms of drug abuse including the wrong use of over-the-counter drugs. “I take tramadol to relieve my pain but I know that I cannot sleep after taking it, and then I lose appetite,” an inmate revealed. The youth unanimously agreed that doing drugs is detrimental to their health, and were advised to abstain from them. A medical practitioner from the NMA, Dr. Patrick Ezie said signs of drug abuse and STIs could manifest in depression, madness and brain damage. “The reactions from drugs are the same with the features of madness because the brain gets high all the time. Understand that madness caused by the abuse of drugs is difficult to cure,”
he told the inmates. Charting a course for improving a youth-friendly health system, the inmates who are between the ages of 20 and 30 years said there should be community health insurance schemes, especially for inmates, artisans and in rural areas, heighten the fight against fake drugs and their promoters, increase health education campaigns through the media and by organising seminars. The Deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP) in charge of Kuje Prison, Akilu Abdullahi who spoke on the menace of drugs in the facility said: “We have issues of drugs and we have to embark on nationwide campaign. At the prison, since I took over, we are not taking it lightly. “We tried and dismissed three of our officers over that and if you compare the rate of drugs between early this year and now, the inmates look sober because we are trying to cut down the supply of drugs.” He lauded the initiative saying it will help to fine tune policies that would best benefit the youth in Nigeria.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state has charged Nigerian youths especially those in Lagos to propagate and preach peaceful coexistence and religious harmony at all times. Ambode who was represented by the Director, Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Alhaji Akeem Adetoro lauded Ahmadiyyah Youth Organisation for initiating the ‘ride for peace’ initiative for the centenary celebrations of Ahmadiyyah Muslim Jama’at world- wide. The programme was held simultaneously in about 10 states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Kogi, Rivers, Plateau, among others. About 100 riders partook in the bicycle ride which took off from Rowe Park in Yaba through Sabi Yaba, Oyingbo, Ojuelegba, Constain, Surulere and back to Rowe Park. The national president of the youth
A Metallurgical Engineering student at Kwara Institute of Technology, Seteolu Olakunle, has won N500,000 under Fidelity Bank entrepreneur saving scheme. Presenting the winner to the Polytechnic, the branch manager of the bank, Mr. Funmi Jimoh stated that the scheme was aimed at supporting students’ academic career and to enhance their saving culture. Jimoh disclosed that the minimum amount required for operating the savings account is N5,000 adding that the winner qualified due to a sufficient amount saved. In his remarks, the Rector, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu advised the winner to use the fund towards establishing himself, noting that the fund is enough to start certain business or the other. Elelu further stressed that the essence of the draw is for the winner to become selfreliant in order to create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the State. Mr. Olakunle who expressed satisfaction with the bank’s operation stressed that savings has never been a problem since he started banking with Fidelity in the last three years.
Foundation forms Urban Development network, lauds ABU as host By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun
US-based Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities (RF100RC) has lauded the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria for its pioneering role and commitment to the training of urban development professionals. The Associate Director, City and Practice Management of the foundation, Liz Agbor, made the commendation in a keynote address at the 2nd national workshop of the Nigeria Resilient Cities Network (NRCN), a local programme held in Abuja. Agbor equally commended the University for being the first generation university that has agreed to become the permanent secretariat of NRCN. group, Malam Abdulqadir Abdul- is love for all, hatred for none. So the The network said, ABU was selected rafi’i said the ride, apart being used only way we feel the world can be at by the British government’s Department to spread the message of peace which peace is to take care of the next person for International Development (DFID) in Islam symbolizes, was also intended to use the same level of struggle you July, 2016 to be the host of the network, to promote a green environment by can go to, to fight for your right to fight considering its contribution in urban encouraging people to use bicycles. for the other person’s right, to take planning and development through He said Lagos for instance has too care of people as if we are borne from capacity building. many cars with high volume of carbon the same mother and that’s what we NRCN, which draws its inspiration from dioxide emitted into the air, saying are telling everybody,” he said. the Rockefeller Foundation, provides a people should platform for networking, peer learning and explore the capacity building for urban development option of riding stakeholders nationwide. bicycles. The FCT Minister, Hon. Muhammad S t a t e Musa Bello reminded participants of the President of urgency of action required to address the the group, implications of rapid and unsustainable Shuaib Badmus urban growth in Nigeria, expressing the stressed that commitment of the FCT Administration to the youths of be an active member of the network. Ahmadiyyah are ABU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim after peaceful Garba, represented by Prof. Adamu coexistence Ahmed, Director for Advancement said and religious DFID founded the network with its harmony in the Members of the Cycology Club getting Photo: programme, ‘The Niger Infrastructure Guardian Facility’. He assured of the university’s state. ready for the first Criterium billed to hold Nigeria readiness to support the network. “Our slogan at the Eko Atlantic…on May 30 2016.
Ambode urges youth on peaceful coexistence From Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos
Kwara poly student wins bank’s promo From Romoke W. Ahmad, Ilorin
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o have a health policy that takes in the needs of the Nigerian youth, seven advocacy groups and the Federal Ministry of Health flagged off a programme, Youth Matters (YM) last weekend when it engaged about 70 young inmates at the Kuje Medium Security Prison in Abuja. Although not allowed to mention their names and even their pictures, most of the inmates said engaging youth in health policy formulation is a good moved by the present administration. Looking well kept and depicting a sober status, the inmates were glaringly excited about the health session adding that it was an opportunity for them to understand key issues about their reproductive health, drug abuse and mental health. The like-minded advocacy groups include Silver Lining Initiative (SLI), KVS International, Mike Omotosho Foundation (MOF), and Education as a Vaccine (EVA). Others are: the Rotary Club Nigeria, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ummah Support Initiative (USI) and the Federal Ministry of Health. The lead facilitator, Hauwa Abbas Hadejia of SLI said the nationwide programme is pooling the views of youth across the six geopolitical zones on what their health concerns are and what policies should be formulated. She noted that the Abuja session started with the prison realising that there are great potentials inherent in the young inmates.
The duty of youth is to challenge corruption. – Kurt Cobain
DAILY TRUST, Friday, November 18, 2016
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YOUTHVILLE Although he started with minimal capital, Mr. Adewale said he recorded a turnover of N1.25million in just one year
I’ve made over N1.2m fabricating changeover devices — Adewale By Latifat Opoola (@LatifatOpoola)
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Business is not a smooth sail. Knowledge is your biggest tool to minimize pitfalls. It takes lots of willingness to go beyond your known limits. “The world of electronics and computer programming does not give yyou the chance to stay relaxed. Innovation is happening at a supersonic can speed. You cannot afford to behind be left behind,” Opeloyeru Adewale, a manufacturer ma of automati changeovers automatic has told Nigerian you youth. Adewale who is a graduate o of electronics a and electrical engineering from Ladoke Akintola University of technology described to
the Daily Trust YOUTHVILLE how his automatic changeovers work. “My automatic changeovers can work with any type of domestic generators, even the 650VA tiger generator. These automatic changeovers detect the availability of public supply, changes over and switches off your generator automatically. “Some models also have the capacity to start your generator set by using a button on the device or by enabling the autostart mode,” he explained. Adewale who is thirty, from Oyo state started his venture, ‘Decrownies Electronics’ in 2014 after he had searched for jobs and found none. He then cashed-in on his vast knowledge on electrical/electronic circuit design which he learnt as an undergraduate. The fabricator who has had various models of changeover switch that allows a switch from a public power source to a private generating set or
plant said the device with only auto-stop feature costs N5,000 and that another model with both auto-start and auto-stop features sells for N25,000. Although he started with minimal capital, Mr. Adewale said he recorded a turnover of N1.25million in just one year. Adewale has hired three persons who also assist in the marketing. He sells by using personal contacts and grew to enlisting his products on dealdey.com and other online marketing platforms including Jumia and Konga. “I tried to test the effectiveness of a simple marketing model on twitter some days ago and it was very effective,” he said about applying his research skills to expand his market reach. For those who would want such a craving, Adewale said, “For someone starting an independent business in my field, good product and Good customer service will help you break barriers.”
‘34m Nigerian youth are unemployed’ From Romoke W. Ahmad, Ilorin Former Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has said over 34million Nigerian youth are currently unemployed. Abdullahi gave this figure in llorin, the Kwara capital at flag-off of Saraki’s Skills acquisition, Training and Empowerment Programme (STEP) for 40,000 youth. He described the statistics of youth unemployment as alarming in the country which he said is retarding development efforts. Abdullahi also said those afflicted by unemployment syndrome also lacked direction as to where they are going in the way and manner they scout for jobs. He said unemployment was one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the globe, adding that the menace was redefining national security, reshaping politics and changing societies. In his remark, the President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said the Senate was considering ways of local fabric “Aso-Oke” as material for school pupils’ caps and cardigans to provide large number of jobs and generate enough revenue. Saraki said this was in line with his firm belief and advocacy for patronage of home made goods. The National President, Ilorin Emirate Descendants
Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji AbdulHameed Adi, said creation of more empowerment schemes will reduce the rate of unemployment, thereby making the army of the beneficiaries to be self-employed. An Associate Professor in the University of Ilorin, Dr Fatai Aremu Ayinde in his brief lecture identified goal clarity, desire, belief, knowledge and action as sure ways to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Polio: Rotary monitors immunization in Abuja, decries resistance By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun The Rotary E-club of Nigeria, District 9125 said it monitored the polio immunization exercise carried out in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last weekend. Briefing newsmen at Damagazu community near Apo during the exercise, the President, Rotarian Temitayo Akpan decried the pockets of resistance from parents in the community describing it as unappealing. She said: “I am heartbroken; the resistance from the people in this community is unappealing. We need to do more advocacies in this community to see more people key into the immunization process.” Temitayo said there were similar house-to-house exercises in Kubwa, Dutse and Garki Village among other places in the FCT where parents and guardians accepted the immunization teams and offered to learn. The village head of Damagaza, Abdulhamidu Ibrahim lauded government’s effort at sustaining the exercise. He said the community was side-lined in many activities but they are now happy that the community is being considered by the present administration. He urged residents to allow their children be immunised as it provides a strong barrier against the wild polio virus. Supervisor of Team 086 of the FCT Immunisation Project, Jerry Armstrong at the community said 109 children were immunised the first day and that many persons who resisted the immunisation of their wards were those coming from rural areas in other states who may not have been well informed about the exercise. “Some complained of having taken too many rounds and so they reject having their children vaccinated,” he said. Some houses where children were absent due to school activities or other issues were marked for a revisit, the team said.
ITF trains 74,000 youth nationwide, graduates 131 in Lagos From Balarabe Alkassim, Bauchi, Nurudeen Oyewole & Kehinde Olufowobi, Lagos The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has trained about 74,000 Nigerian youth on various technical and vocational skills under its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) since 2012. The Director General (DG), Sir Joseph Ari disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the programme’s 5th phase at the Development Exchange Centre (DEC) in
Bauchi. Represented by the Bauchi area manager of the fund, Alhaji Yahaya Manu, the DG said 500 youth were selected from each of the 36 states and the FCT while 1,100 youth were selected from Borno state due to the large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Ari noted that Nigeria must introduce more wealth creation and poverty reduction schemes to address the socioeconomic challenges facing the country like kidnappings, armed
robberies, among others. The Emir of Bauchi Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu represented by Barden Kudun Bauchi, Alhaji Hayatu Mustapha appealed to the federal government to motivate the trainees by giving them capital to set up their own businesses. The Fund also hosted a combined graduation ceremony on technical and entrepreneurial skills for a 131 of its trainees in Lagos state where the Zonal Director/ Director of TVST Department, Mrs Folusho
Samuel who represented the DG said the ITF is focusing on arming youth with skills to function effectively in the labour market and to become job creators. Meanwhile the Head, External Relations and Exhibitions of ITF, Mr Vincent Taryahuan at the recent Lagos International Trade Fair said, “ITF is more relevant now that we are in recession because we have all along, been operating monolithic economy by relying on oil for revenue generation.
President of Rotary E-Club District 9125, Temitayo Akpan (centre) and the immunization team marking an immunized child near Apo in Abuja last weekend.
Youth is given to us. Experience we pay for – Carolyn G. Heilbron