CITAD charges youth on community devt

The Centre for Information Communication Technology (CITAD) has urged youth to engage in community development.

The Programme Manager CITAD, Salma Abdulwahid, who stated this on Wednesday, during the International Youths Day celebration webinar meeting with the theme: Youth Engagement for Global Action in Abuja, described youth as the leaders of tomorrow.

She said: “To make a great leader, we will have to start looking out for not only ourselves but for the people around us most especially the less privileged from our prime time. As youths, we should learn to volunteer willingly to contribute positively to our community and in return, the person in question will reach out, learn, and have experience in every activity involved in.”

She further urged youth to disengage from the monetary gain and engage in community service saying, “and all we need will surely come by eventually.”

Speaking, the representative of Actionaid Nigeria with the local right programme (LRP) Mr. Joseph Augustine, said the future Nigeria and the world at large is looking forward to is in the hands of young people. “We need to take charge, play roles especially in our local communities. The voices of young people have been subdued especially in those local communities due to politics, sidelining, cultural activities. These young people’s voices aren’t heard.

“The aim for this event is to create awareness for the young to know that they can drive change with their potentials wherever they find themselves. For instance, tungashere community didn’t have schools, but advocacy was used to acquire such by CITAD.

He urged youths to know their rights in their community, using such opportunity wisely to benefit all. Adding that, youths should harness their energies to have what is called the youth power.

“This power gives them the opportunity to speak on issues affecting them around rape, crisis, unemployment, gender base violence, not being included in decision making, drug abuse etc. Another important factor to note is for the youth to know their environment because one cannot solve a problem that one has no idea about.

Augustine advised youths to shun godfatherism and take example from the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela who is still celebrated till date for his selflessness.

Earlier, while presenting his paper on youths exploring opportunities from the grassroots, the CEO of Sarkin Noma foundation Mr. Hassan Sarkin Noma urged advised youth to leverage on the use of networking and ICT.

“Discover your advantage over others, be consistent, know the needs of your community, explore and offer something to your community. You should note that networking is paramount by thinking globally and act locally in order to change from what you’re doing. People in the rural areas are also of advantage these days in the sense that one can be anywhere and yet reach out to many anywhere. Like CITAD that has reached out to people in different communities, leveraging on what they are doing and making a change.”

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