NOA HOLDS YOUTH SUMMIT ON NATIONWIDE ATTITUDINAL RE-ORIENTATION IN LAGOS
A one-day National Youth Summit on: Attitudinal Re-Orientation with the theme: “Youth Participation in National Development” by National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos Directorate was held on Wednesday, 21st April, 2021 at the Lagos State Youth Council House, 50 Akinwunmi Street, off Huges Avenue, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos State.
Delivering the keynote address on-behalf of the Director General, National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari, the Director, NOA Lagos Directorate, Mr. Waheed Ishola said that the youth summit engagement is crucial in order to identify youth challenges and proffer ways of addressing them even as they discuss key national issues. He noted that the summit is a continuation of the Agency’s engagements with the youth through its comprehensive and all-embracing programme, such as Campus Focus which is designed to address the myriads of vices existing in tertiary institutions with adverse consequences on the youth.
He further said that the theme of the summit which is, Youth participation in National Development, is very apt and imperative because it underscores the fact that youths are an indispensable critical mass for meaningful national development.
Against the backdrop of recent agitations culminating in peaceful protests across the country by youths, NOA he said seeks to address the concern of Nigerians by providing platforms of engagement at different levels and for different social segments of the society. The DG enjoined the youth to make their voices heard because they have a voice that must be listened to and acted upon, in an attempt to build a virile and enduring democratic nation.
Speaking on “Insecurity and the Nigerian Youths – The Way Forward” the representative of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, ACP Jide Agboola defined insecurity as the state of being subject to danger, vulnerability. He listed some of the myriad of insecurity and social vices in the country by the youth as: kidnapping, cybercrime, financial crimes, Drug Abuse, Cultism, Thuggery, Armed robbery, Sexual Abuse and Gender based Violence with its implication on the economy, people and the country as whole. People live in fear with serious inflation and no meaningful development can take place. On the way forward, he appealed to all stakeholders to join hands to implement the moral value to their followers and train them to be self-entrepreneurs who can create wealth while the youths themselves are to key into the National Youth Policy.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos Directorate, Mr. Waheed Ishola said that the youth summit is intended to provide a veritable platform of engagement with the youths on key national issues that are of utmost or paramount concern to them and come up with recommendation for national development.
Other speakers at the well-attended programme were: The State Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Deputy Commandant Paul O. Shomide; Representative of Lagos State Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Audu, National Co-ordinator, Community Agenda for Peace, Amb. Phillips Obuesi representing the Civil Society Organisation, Chairman National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Lekan Biliamin Oba amongst others.
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