Youthville

YOUTHVILLE ISSUE #151

Friday, October 6, 2017

08078068532

Group sensitise people on drug abuse in Kaduna From Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna

The Voice to the People (V2P) project being implemented by Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) has identified drug abuse as a pertinent issue in Down Quarters community in Kaduna state.

The Project Officer, Mr Stephen John spoke at a drug enlightenment campaign organised by Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), supported

by Christian Aid and UKAid. He said the campaign is targeting 100 teenagers from the community.

John said the NGO will continuously counsel the participants through the ‘Say No to Drug’ advocacy. “Many of the youth said joblessness caused their addiction that is why we want to call on the government to find a way of engaging the youth by providing a skills acquisition centre in the community where the youth can engage themselves and take their minds out of drug use,” he said.

Lalong cautions youth on reckless driving From Dickson S. Adama, Jos Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has cautioned youth against reckless driving, saying it could cost them their lives and that of the occupants of vehicles.

He also urged the youth not to drink any form of alcohol before climbing the wheels, saying that drunk driving has also responsible for many of the road crashes.

Speaking in Jos, the Plateau State capital, at the Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Trust Fund, Lalong said in recent times he has lost several friends and relatives to accidents and that till date he and his family are yet to recover from some of the shock.

Founder of the Fund, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen of the Court of Appeal said she established the NGO in memory of her son Kwapda’as who died in his youthful age six years ago by a hit and run vehicle.

Justice Dongban-Mensen who spoke in tears said her son was a Law graduate and was about beginning his life before it was cut short by a road accident.

The Fund also presented awards to some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members nationwide who won the essay competition it organized on speed reduction.

The winner, Ezugwu Ugochukwu from Federal University of Technology Owerri got the prize of N100,000; the runner up Akunwanne Rachael from Nnamdi Azikwe University Akwa, got N75,000, while the 2nd runner up, Emeto Simeon got N50,000.

The youth is the hope of our future.

– Jose Rizal

...young at heart

youthville@dailytrust.com

Nigerians need youth to lead the country — Duhu Kabiru Duhu is the National President of Young Leadership Association of Nigeria (YLAN). The Information Technology graduate from Adamawa State in this interview speaks on why Nigerian youth must unite against being used as political tools.

By Simon E. Sunday @SimonEchewofun

W

hy are youth so vulnerable to being used as political tools and not for governance?

I am part of the pioneer leaders of North East Development Association (NEDA) that started in 2013 when the insurgency in the North East was out of control from the government and some Local Governments were overtaken.

I am quite serious about youth being used for the right cause as the downfall of Nigeria would not be as a result of the corruption of our leaders, but due to the sentiments and lack of a common reasoning among the youth.

It is when we understand ourselves and change our thinking that we will lead the country successfully. In the past, youth including Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari among others, took over the country and governed it successfully.

Nigerians need us now, to lead our country, so the Young Leadership Association of Nigeria (YLAN) is mobilizing youth to simply organize, orient and take over the country.

How do you view the campaign for more youth in governance today?

To promote youth in governance you have to include them, give them areas to handle. The best organization in the world is a combination of two things the new will learn from the old so that the new will not repeat same mistake.

We have failed to understand that in Nigeria. During elections, about 80 per cent of those involved are youth, but after that, they are not involved in the government, this must be changed.

Who comprise the members of YLAN? The association is for young people, registered as youth organization and committed to ensuring youth

participation in politics and nation building. We need visionary leaders who will understand that they are in government to serve not to steal, we need to team up to take the fight to the people who are stealing what belongs to all of us, we have over five million members and branches in USA, UK, UAE, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana and across states in Nigeria.

What is your advice towards the ns in Nigeria? many agitations nt The recent development on nity, which is as a result national disunity, d tension on hate of heightened d disintegration have speeches and ion. The youth who drawn attention. mselves as agent of consider themselves change still the lack unity and the absence of unity promotes sunderstanding and anarchy, misunderstanding backwardness. It is obvious that our youth are the tools in the hands of uals who are some individuals determined to disrupt the otect their peace to protect st. Using selfish interest. the combined forces of the Nigerian youth nemy against the enemy of the masses will ive. be more effective. ur What is your e advice to the youth?

My fellow youth, do not join the old cargoes in their deceit to the nation, the entire y o u t h of this country should be

united and focused. You can register with us across the local governments and have a say in the movement so that the right people will be in charge of the affairs of our resources and restore Nigeria. United youth hope for a better Nigeria. Why should we be divided against the elders’ evils when they steal our resources collectively? Let us ask them to be accountable, let us be part of the future of Nigeria and that is now!

Finding ways to grow my fashion line, quite challenging’

By Latifat Opoola @LatifatOpoola @LatifatOpoo Amina Aminu Gamagira, a fashion desig designer has said finding ways to grow her business is quite challenging. sa she started The chemist said h busine i the business with her sister in 2013 out of bore bo redo dom m but failed in boredom, the first attempt.

“In 2013, 2 it started as a business of two; I and m my sister. We sstarted with a capital of N N100,000 but u unfortunately it failed and we lo lost everything an and my sister

gave up on it,” she said.

Amina determined to bounce back, overcame her fears and went for the same business.

“I had no capital till one day when a friend requested for a dress worth N7,000. With the money, I delivered and made a little and that was how I started ‘Mienah Couture’,” Amina said.

Amina who has five employees said the business is very lucrative stressing that, “the more hardworking and creative you are, the more lucrative the business will be.”

Amina said she learnt the business on her own. “I didn't learn from anybody throughout my four years journey until recently when I

joined House of Kaya Academy for a three month programme,” she noted.

In her advice, Amina said four things matter most for professional designers and they are hard work, knowledge, passion, and talent.

She warned that before embarking on any business, one must “have the talent and passion for it and then the knowledge and hard work to keep it going.”

Her best lesson so far is "be patient and never to give up on something so Important or something that makes you so happy and delightful.”

In the next five years, Amina sees her brand as a leading brand in Nigeria and a recognized one in the world.

DAILY TRUST, Friday, October 6, 2017

26

YOUTHVILLE

Agitations: Youth sue for unity, kick against violence

How I earn N60,000 monthly from snacks, says NYSC member Twenty eight year old Attamah Frances Chinyere from Enugu state and graduate of Food Science and Technology from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) is practicing what she read while doing her one year service under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Gombe State. The caterer told Daily Trust of how she earns a fortune every month from selling snacks in the state.

From Haruna Gimba Yaya, Gombe @haroungimba

H

ow I started making snacks I learnt to make snacks at the Royal Institute of Catering and Management in Enugu, after secondary education. I was posted to Gombe state last year for my NYSC, and am serving at Kanem

From Abdullateef Aliyu, Lagos

Suite Hotel in Gombe town.

My motivation for the catering business During our camping we were advised to register for any vocational skills to make ourselves self-reliant after our service year when the monthly allowance stopped. I registered for beads making but later changed to catering which I had learnt before, I opted to making snacks. I started making fish rolls and then moved to egg rolls, meat pie and doughnut on demand.

Snack making for me, is profitable The business is paying so far. In a day, I try to save about N3,000 from my profit and in a month I save up to N60,000. The amount is not consistent because I combine the business with my primary assignment at the hotel, which we run on shift, so I don’t do the business all through the week.

I started with N5,000 only. You too can start something!

I started the business with

N5,000 using it to buy a measure of flour, sugar and other ingredients little by little. I later moved on buy in larger quantities. Am doing the business alone now because the two fellow corps members that were helping earlier left saying it was stressful.

I could sustain the business even after NYSC I like the job and intend to continue even after my Service year, but not this way. I am saving money so I can expand the business to having a bigger shop and do it in a bigger way instead of hawking.

Don’t wait for easy money, do the little you can!

My advice to fellow corps members and youth is that they should not be looking for easy money without a stress. As a youth you should also take whatever business you are doing as a fun, then you will find it interesting and not stressful. So you will just be looking at it as a fun while making your money.

‘To sustain myself, I started selling building materials’

By Mansur Abubakar A graduate of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Musa Umar has said he ventured into a building material business to sustain himself when he couldn’t wait longer to get a job.

Umar told our reporter that his ‘AYAJ Enterprises’ at Kaduna’s Old Panteka market has been expanding with him employing more hands.

“The idea has always been that after school, one has to wait for the NYSC. In my case, I spent my time wisely by investing in this profitable venture which has opened my eyes to a lot of opportunities,” Umar said.

He believes the business is has contributed to the building sector and the economy as he now sells standard materials endorsed by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

“We also have in

our employment some persons who depend on us to feed their families. We have eight persons and they are of great help to us.

“My experience has been tremendous. I have met and interacted with people who are not in the same career line with me.

It has also taught me to always be patient in dealing with people to succeed in business,” Umar explained.

He advised other youth to venture into business and be self-reliant. “I will like to advise the country’s youth to shy away from being idle and venture into projects that will better their lives and improve the country.

“It’s wrong for graduates to keep waiting for white collar jobs while ignoring ideas that could see them become employers of labour in months or years,” he told them.

Some Nigerian youth have urged individuals and ethnic groups to shun violent agitations but work through dialogue to achieve national common goals.

The youth made this call this week in Lagos at a gathering organized by NaijaDay Foundation, a youth group to mark Nigeria’s 57th Independence anniversary.

They also urged governments to discharge their responsibilities diligently to ensure peace and unity among citizens especially among youth.

The Director, Prisoners’ Right Advocacy Initiative (PRAI) and 2017 Mandela-Washington Fellow, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem at the event warned agitators to desist from uttering hate speeches while demanding for their rights in the country, just as he cautioned against overheating the polity with their actions.

He implored Nigerians not to share every post on the social media as most are written to cause discord amongst Nigerians, stressing that Nigerians should be armed with correct information.

“We all possess innate weapons to fight intolerance and hate, let’s use it. Most of the people sponsoring and leading the clamour for war will jet out of the country if it happens and the common man would be made to suffer,” he said.

Publisher of Checkout Magazine and a UKbased journalist, Lekan Fatodu said pockets of violence within the country due to agitations on secession and restructuring indicated that it was time to make peace a national mantra.

To achieve peaceful co-existence in Nigeria, the Director, Centre for Human Rectitude, Yusuf Aweda, appealed to clerics in the country to use religious teachings to ensure protection of humanity, regardless of tribes, religion and ethnicity.

Aweda added that religious leaders should also use the altars in protecting lineage and encouraging members to marry one another with morality to worship the supreme creator of all.

10,000 youth participate in Plateau’s mountain climbing fest From Bashir Liman, Jos The Chairman, Pan Community of Jepjan (Namu), Prince Jacob Dakyap has disclosed that over 10, 000 youth participated in the recent Pang Mat Long’ mountain climbing in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau state.

He said the festival holds every October before farmers can properly embark on harvesting farm produce.

“This year’s festival is more colourful than the previous ones and over 10, 000 youth participated. It shows that despite the western culture, our youth are still conscious of their tradition

and culture,” Dakyap said.

He explained that the essence of the festival was to promote peace and preserve culture, “and I am sure that peace and bounty harvest will come unto everyone that participated in the festival.”

The spokesman of the community, Barr. Albert Kopbe urged government to develop scientific and technological studies to enhance Nigerian culture.

“Section 21 of the 1999 Nigeria’s constitution as amended, it stated that, “The State shall protect, preserve and promote Nigeria’s culture to enhance human dignity that is consistent with the fundamental objectives,” he cited.

If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business - B. C. Forbes