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| Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State |
Opinion
February
7, 2017 is a red-letter day in the history of youth development in Lagos State.
That day, for the first time in the Nigeria’s centre of excellence, a lofty and
laudable leadership development initiative - IBILE Youth Academy (IYA) - was
launched by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development with the full
endorsement of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the historic Governor of Lagos State. The
well-thought-out youth development programme was a clear departure from what we
used to have in the past when youth events were one-off and impact on attendees
is likely to wear off quickly.
The
Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Uzamat
Akinbile-Yussuf during the launch, stated that the academy was “designed to
inculcate in the youth the virtues of citizenship, leadership and volunteerism
for the development of their personality, society and state and the nation by
extension.” Citizenship, altruism, patriotism, and volunteerism are critical
values that are hard to come these days, especially among young people. And who
would blame them for this? Many of these youths grew up seeing and hearing of
bad examples of how some so-called leaders fail to deliver good governance and
the most painful part is how they leave their constituents worse than they met
them. Thankfully, we have a handful of visionary and high performing leaders
that are exceptions. The likes of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who has proved his
mettle as a leader, have shown us that there is hope in the horizon.
From
March 6 – 10, 2017, one week leadership training held in different centres
across the five administrative divisions of Lagos: Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja,
Lagos Island and Epe (IBILE). Going by the word “academy”, a place of study or
training in a special field, participants were schooled in the dynamics of
leadership and lectured on topics such asself discovery; entrepreneurship;
volunteerism; goal setting; creative thinking; team building; effective
communication and public speaking; environmental responsibilities; sex,
sexuality and relationships; employability skills; finance and investment. This
is arguably the first time that youths from across the State enjoyed equal
access to a loaded leadership and personal effectiveness programme of this
kind, coordinated from the centre.
Out
of the initial five hundred that participated inthe first leg of IBILE Youth
Academy (IYA), fifty outstanding candidates were selected based on merit. The
fifty then attended a leadership training camp where they were learnt practical
team building and leadership skills whileengaging in several outdoor activities
from April 2 – 7, 2017. As one of the
guest speakers, I enjoyed every bit of the time I spent at the IBILE Leadership
Training Camp. The response from these young and dynamic Lagosians was
fantastic – there is no better word to describe the enthusiasm with which they
asked intelligent questions. IYA has produced the first Lagos Youth Ambassador,
Lana Promise Elijah, and four other divisional youth ambassadors, namely;
Shonibare Zainab(Lagos Island); Agbaje Maruf (Ikorodu); Sarah Anakwe (Badagry);
Badmus Oladipupo (Epe) and Oparacha Winifred (Ikeja).
A
sage once said “Everything rises and falls on leadership”. Contrary to popular
thinking, leadership, not corruption, is the real problem we are faced with as
a nation. The dearth of leaders is the death of progress in any organization
whether in the public or private sector. It is this realization that must have
inspired the birth of the well-thought-out IBILE Youth Academy. Without the
right kind of leadership, we cannot maximize our potential. As endowed as we
are as a nation, we are still battling with poverty and it is not just the
poverty of the purse; it is the poverty of the mind and paucity of values. I am
particularly glad that the IYA is designed to be an annual programme. If
thesense of urgency and priority given to the subject matter of leadership here
in Lagos is applied across the federation, then a fresh generation of young
patriotic leaders will be raised. There is no better time to catch them young
than now; prepare them to meet future challenges and help them unleashtheir
potential.
In
ourfast-changing globe where more than fifty percent of the population is
belowthirty, a nation that neglects its youth is playing with fire. It is very
important that we prepare the youths for leadership otherwise we will continue
to have cases of accidental leaders. Result-oriented leadership is required
across the different sectors of the economy. IYA’s pay-off line, “incubating
for greatness”, captures the whole essence of the initiative. Speaking about
the state government’s motivation, the Youth and Social Development
Commissioner, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf pointed out that “the underlying philosophy
behind the leadership training in the youth sector by the present
administration in the state under the able leadership of our dear Governor, His
Excellency Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode is based on a firm belief that dividends from
such investment can never be quantified. This is because young people are the
resources that must be groomed and harnessed for the overall development of our
beloved Lagos State and the Country Nigeria at large".
Given
the urgent need to breed new leaders, the government needs a lot of support
from nongovernmental organizations and business concerns.I want to appeal to
corporate organizations to consider making social responsibility investment in
the youth development initiatives, especially in leadership development. Over
the years, this writer has been supporting the youth development events in
Lagos State via public speaking, blogging, inspirational writing, mentoring and
donation of books. All hands must be on deck to help our youths become assets
and agents of development, not just in their communities but in the world at
large. This writer only imagined the positive ripple effects the IBILE youth
leadership training would have on youths across the State as the participants
return to their respective communities to instigate social change, start small
businesses and provide sterlingleadership. In fact, Lana Promise Elijah, the
Lagos State Youth Ambassador,and the other divisional Ambassadors have been
mandated to team up to come up with creative ideas and solutions to problems
that might be affecting the youths of the State.
Doubtlessly,
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is setting the stage for younger leaders to learn the
ropes, take on the reins of leadership and participate in decision-making. His
administration thought it necessary to set up the Lagos State Youth Parliament
to elevate the voice of the youth. This posture perfectly aligns with the
United Nations’ Not-Too-Young-To-Run campaign advocating against age
discrimination and challenging young people to run for public offices. To
reduce the unemployment level, raise and support young business leaders, Lagos
State Employment Trust Fund was established by this administration. Governor
Ambode certainly deserves to be commended for his concerted efforts to elevate
youth development.
This
writer is not surprised at the avalanche of encomiums being showered on
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who has silenced his critics and justified his
mandate with visionary governance. The State is strewn with infrastructural
totems of his stellar performance: Abule Egba and Ajah overhead bridges
(construction ongoing); Ayobo bridge/link road; Berger Bus stop at Ojodu, on
the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; completion of over 114 internal roads; The TBS Bus
Terminus and a good number of landmark achievements has been recorded in
health, environment, security, education, agriculture, infrastructureand other
sectors. It is gratifyingto know that our dear Governor is “positively
restless” about improving the standard of living of his constituents. The
physically challenged have been considered, N500 million naira has been
earmarked for their education, welfare and general wellbeing.This piece is not
to present a perfect Akinwunmi Ambode or to list out the salient achievementsof
his administration but to celebratea helmsman who has shown tangible commitment
to providing compassionate and transformational leadership.
It
is worth mentioning that Ambode’sgovernment is putting its money where its
mouth is. It is not just paying lip service to its policy of inclusion. The
governor’s speeches almost always carry the refrain that “Every Lagosian
counts. We are a government of inclusion.” Whether you are on the Island or on
the Mainland, you are valued as a Lagosian. The wind of development, not just
youth development, is blowing across the entire state, from Epe to Abule Egba.
I am particularly happy that this benevolent wind has arrived in my axis;
Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, where I have lived for over three decades. The
engineeringmarvelat Abule Egba is a beauty to behold and a harbinger of fortune
–a sign of good things to come. I couldn’t agree more with Mobolaji Sanusi’s
article titled “Ambode: Itesiwaju continues” published in The Guardian, on
Monday April 24, 2017. I am yet to come across any right-thinking Lagosian who
would not want visionary governance to continue. For my money, the title of
Mobolaji Sanusi’s article – Ambode: Itesiwaju continues – should be the refrain
of our dear Governor’s re-election campaign.
Idowu
Omisore, an inspirational writer and public speaker, writes from Lagos.
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