THEME: Making An Informed Decision Ahead of The 2015 General Elections

VENUE: Expo Hall, Eko Hotel & Suites. Victoria Island Lagos.

DATE: 22ND MARCH 2015.

 

ATTENDANCE: Over 4000 Young Professionals from across Nigeria and the US and UK groups streaming live and asking questions during the interractive session. 

SPECIAL GUESTS: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Aviation Minister Mr Osita Chidoka, Recipients of various Scholarship Awards 

 

 

For Nigeria to achieve its quest of being among the Top 20 economies by the year 2020, all stakeholders agree that the potentials of the country’s Young Professionals must be harnessed and adequately put to good use.

 

NYPF has documented 13 million Young Nigerian Professionals in 15 countries around the world engaging many young persons in activities that help provide support in various academic and social forms to the less-opportuned younger generation. We have been able to reach about 2,300 young people in primary and secondary schools giving them scholarships, providing books and other study items and encouraging them to perform exceptionally well in their various academic pursuits and develop their individual talents.

             At the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum International Summit in Abuja, an appeal was made for the review of Nigerians expertise quota, to create an enabling policy for Young Nigerians to Foster National Integration and purposeful Leadership by their own contribution.

Chairman NYPF, Mr. Moses Siloko Siasia who made the appeal cited Young Professionals who were in special fields, including chemical , robotic and aeronautics engineering, but those potentials are not being harnessed. He stressed that Nigerian Professionals need a lot more encouragement than they are receiving. Young people are the building block for all forms of global growth or developement and the future of any aspiring country is closely tied to the level of empowerment in its younger population. In his words...

 

“As Young People, we have been nourished by a generation of broken promises so we appeal to the President to give Young Professionals 35% affirmative action in governance”

 

According to Mr. Siasia, President Jonathan was empowering youths through programs like the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (Sure-P) among others. President Jonathan who addressed the summit, urged the youths to rise up to the challenges confronting the Nation especially insecurity by supporting the government in its fight against the Nations problems.

          Listing some of his achievements, President Jonathan said the presidential scholarship was one of the numerous means to empower youths. In his words

 

"We have discovered that Young people are interested in agriculture and we are investing more into the sector. We are working on our local content policy for ICT among others".

 

On the 35% affirmative action proposed by the NYPF, President Jonathan said granting such request will limit our chances of advancement as we have boundless opportunities. He said that what the young people should request for is a bill to the National Assembly, an amendment to discriminatory provisions of the constitution in terms of age.

He added that through programs such as YouWin , Sure-P Graduate Internship scheme and community service programs, his administration would continue to create opportunities for young people.

This is an excerpt from Mr President's full speech at the event.

 

"We need to rise up to the challenges of the moment despite being prophetic and in tune with the reality of an increasing complex world that we live in. As a successive generation you have a historic duty to live up to your responsibility of not just today’s drive in development, but also as leaders and a repository of the exciting possibilities which lie in wait for our Nation. On our part we are committed to providing the much needed environment to enable you fully realize your creative and productive potentials. It is especially gratifying to me that this summit specifically focuses on pivotal place of young professionals in our national political and developmental process especially at this critical time in our political history.

The theme "Fostering National Integration and the Quest for purposeful Leadership in Nigeria, the NYPF Example" could not have been better framed giving the particular challenges our nation is faced with at this time. It is pertinent that we take a close look at the place of our youths.Young Professionals constitute a most viable dynamic segment of our population. It is very evident that a sustained environment of insecurity and distrust will continue to impact negatively on growth and development across all spheres of our national life, this is why our administration has committed all necessary resources to wipe out the menace of terrorism from our Nation, and because of this quest, will continue to count on the support of all Nigerians and the international community. I salute the gallantry of our men and women in the armed forces, Police, security most of whom most are young people. A grateful Nation says thank you.

Equally we are most committed to primordial loyalties and thriving the process of authentic National Integration as Young Professionals, accomplished youths and inheritors of our dreams and aspirations as a people we have the greatest possible role to play in ensuring the emergence of a Nigeria that we will all believe in. This administration fully recognizes our duty to ensure that young people are adequately equipped to face the challenges this is why in addition to our agenda. We have initiated policies and programmes which are specifically targeted at ensuring that young professionals achieve their desired goals. Cognizant of the fact that education builds the minds of young people, our administration has not only encouraged the establishment of private universities but we have also established fourteen new universities within a short period of time, Twelve regular universities, one for the police and one for maritime studies. Even though it was quite challenging we have realized that the existing universities we have in the country cannot provide for 50%of Nigeria’s young people who want to get a university education and we are presently in a world where the economy is knowledge-based unlike before." 

 

         Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said a lot of young people have benefitted from the YouWin , Sure-P, micro and other programs targeted at empowering young people. She noted monetary grants that have been given to youths to set up thriving businesses or maintain them under the present administration, something that has been absent in previous ones. 

She added that the Federal Government had established innovation centers to support entrepreneurs in the information Communications Technology (ICT) sector and launched a 25 million-dollar venture capital fund for ICT businesses owned by young people. She said the housing scheme was put in place to help young people own personal houses at the begining of their career instead of working for years before been able to actualize this dream.

 

In a communiqué at the end of the summit, NYPF recommended the following

 

• A well structured entrepreneurial training program to be included in University programs.

• A policy initiative to drive and ensure accessible funding thereby eliminating the stringent requirements on loans and grants.

• Initiating the formulation of fair employment policies as well as prioritize the employment of young people, consequently reducing the unemployment levels alongside poverty rate in Nigeria.

• A tailored NYSC program for Nigerians in diaspora who can demonstrate satisfactory professional experience in order to encourage a transition back to Nigeria.

• An efficient program and project management to increase sustainability and continuity while reducing the likelihood of uncompleted projects and unwarranted variations.