The Lagos State Government on Monday officially kicked off the Boot Camp for Ibile Youth Academy, a leadership training programme designed to equip young people in the state with skills and values for nation building. The one-week residential camp is taking place at the Digital Bridge Institute, formerly known as Nitel Training School, Oshodi.
The programme is specifically for 50 participants who emerged as winners from the Divisional Training held across the five divisions of the state: Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Epe. Their names were announced by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, during the One-Day Leadership Summit and Alumni Launch held at Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium last week.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, urged the young participants to remain committed to building the country rather than seeking opportunities abroad. He said, “We can not afford to lose ourselves in the search for the Nigeria of our dreams. No nation is built by foreigners. We cannot actualise the lofty dream of our founding fathers if we don’t do away with the japa syndrome”.
Ogunlende stressed that the youth make up over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population and have the energy and ideas needed to move the country forward. “We need to come together and proffer homegrown solutions to the problems we are facing as a nation. Rome was not built in a day. It is one step at a time because a journey of a thousand miles starts with a step. We must not give up, but keep on pushing until we get it right in all sectors,” he said.
He further advised the participants to see Nigeria as their fatherland, noting that no one else would develop it for them. According to him, “collaboratively we can build the nation of our dreams because united we stand, divided we fall.”
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Pharm (Mrs.) Toyin Oke-osanyintolu, congratulated the participants for reaching the boot camp stage and encouraged them to make the most of the opportunity. She implored them to deepen the knowledge gained from their previous training sessions.
She also emphasised the importance of living by strong values that would make them worthy ambassadors of Lagos State. Oke-osanyintolu explained that the youth population realities influenced Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration to prioritise youth empowerment as a key development pillar, which the Ministry actively promotes.
At the end of the one-week residential training, participants will share experiences, learn from one another and engage in healthy competition. The overall best participant will be named State Youth Ambassador, while the next five top performers will serve as Divisional Ambassadors representing the five divisions of the state.
