Stakeholders at the 2018 TAMS summit themed, “Making Nigeria work” has called on the Nigerian government to immediately restructure the country’s educational system in order to ensure a brighter future for the country.
Nigerians youths who attended the event in their large numbers were also tasked to go beyond sentiments, imbibe the culture and value of productivity in order to be good managers.
Addressing the summit as a keynote speaker, founder of LEAP Africa, Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, said Nigeria can only be restructured to compete with other developed economies such as-as China, Japan and the United States of America when the youths that make over 50% of the population are given opportunities to show their creativity.
“Young people in Nigeria have what it takes to lead as they are not only the leaders of tomorrow but today. And for them to take centre space, they need right education as currently, our education system needs to revamp as it pushes out creativity “, observed Nwuneli.
Nwuli also advised that for new generation to fit into the corporate world, Nigeria must have respect for human dignity; policymakers should set platforms for youth engagement; there should be widespread educational reforms and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, should be made voluntary and there is a need for a paradigm shift on the part of millennia and corporate leaders to be flexible in order to accommodate the youths exposed to the dynamics of technology and innovation.
Speaking with newsmen, the convener of TAMS summit, Mr. Afolabi Abiodun said that the summit was to better engage the youths positively to bring the desired change the country needed.
His words, “Nigeria belongs to the youths and the young ones have to be better equipped, set values and aspirations through global communication and interconnection.”
He, however, added that it is not best for youths to merely demand the mantle of leadership, stressing that it is not a gift that can just be given to them.
“It is not about saying, it is time for youth to lead, we have to earn it. I am a Nigerian youth and you can see the steps I am taking, it doesn’t come as a gift. Those we referred to today as ‘old’ earned it, and the best way we can make Nigeria work again is to also follow that part.
Guests at the event that saw over 50 Nigerians youths who are making waves in their private and public sectors bestowed with awards and made TAMS ambassadors, included the chairperson of the occasion, Special Adviser, Education, Lagos State, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh; Chairperson of the Occasion, Yetunde Ogbomienor; Chairman, Lagos State, Local Government Service Commission (LGSECOM), Mr Babatunde Rotinwa,; hosted by Barr. Ibilowo Afolayan and held at Agip Recital Hall.
Panellists at the discussion of the day tagged, “How to build a new generation of corporate leaders”, included Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, Pro-Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU; Mr Andrew Gbodume, Managing Director, MRS Oil Nigeria, PLC; Mr. Ronan Redmond, Director, TVC and Mrs Emily Liggett, Business Coach, Stanford Seed, all agreed that for the youths to take active positions in both private and public sectors, there have to be policies, platforms and a reform in the education sector that will improve them on knowledge, skill and technology wise.
On his part, Mr. Bank-Olemoh noted that Lagos State Government was poised to engaging the youths through various programmes among which was the ReadySetWork, [RSK] an employability and entrepreneurship programme aimed at preparing final year students across eight tertiary institutions in the country for immediate entry into the workforce as employees and employers of labour.
