By Araba, Olawale Enifenilanfe:

The Africa Young Diplomats Forum (AYDF), under the leadership of Mrs. Valentina Ofiepre Uchegbu, the Global Director for Operations and co-founder of the organization, along with the co-convener of the International Diplomatic Simulation Programme in partnership with the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative (IDYI), pioneered by Comrade Dr. Samson Bisiriyu in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), represented by Mr. Muhammed Wase, Coordinator Youth Engagement and Inclusion in Abuja, has successfully engaged the youth of the Ikorodu Division, including tertiary and secondary school students, in a three-day intensive training program focused on national values and patriotism. This initiative encouraged participants to think critically about grassroots issues that have global implications, with the aim of cultivating proactive leaders for the future.

This training took place yesterday, February 28, 2025, at Gbadamosi Hall, located in the Ikorodu Ultra-Modern Town Hall, next to the Ita-Elewa Magistrate Court, on Olubi Street, near Owolowo Street, off Ayangburen Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria.

This project received esteemed sponsorship from the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

The Day One training focused on secondary school students, while Day Two was dedicated to university students. The final day engaged stakeholders from the Ikorodu Division in a critical examination of the issues affecting community media representation and its impact on sustainable development. This engagement aimed to enlighten the youth present about these issues, encouraging them to brainstorm potential solutions to the problems identified.

In an interview with Mrs. Valentina Ofiepre Uchegbu, Co-founder of the Africa Young Diplomats Forum (AYDF), the Co-convener of the International Diplomatic Simulation Programme, she stated, youth are the leaders of tomorrow, yes, but it starts today. If they don’t begin learning today, how will they work tomorrow?

Mrs. Valentina stated that preparing young individuals for leadership and equipping them with the skills to address the issues that people are concerned about is the first step.

The feedback received, particularly from the secondary school students, was truly remarkable. The documents presented demonstrate that their minds are open, revealing a sense of hope for Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.

“The person you speak to today may be called upon to serve tomorrow- Let not throw away the baby with their bath water” as regards the parental care. This captures the essence of this gathering, she said.

Urged the government to create an enabled environment for sustainable capacity building of the young ones knowing the government can not do it all.

The expectation is focused on both sides of the citizens as well as on the government is paramount in this regard.

The Africa Young Diplomats Forum (AYDF) was established in 2024 to focus on empowering youth and young individuals to transform the negative narrative surrounding Nigeria and Africa as a whole into a positive influence.

In an interview with Mr Mohammed Wase, Coordinator of Youth Engagement and Inclusion at the National Orientation Agency in Abuja, clarified that his role as a government representative is to instill patriotism and national values in the minds of young Nigerians.

The speaker urged the youth and young individuals to be exemplary ambassadors of their origins, emphasizing that they are the future of their communities.

He stated,  that if we fail to guide them properly, everything will go awry. “A country without its youth is a country without a future”.

Additionally, he encourages the youth to instill good values and morals, ensuring that they uphold the teachings they have learned. He also emphasizes the importance of listening to their parents, which is a result of the transformative change observed in the youth after the three-day intensive coaching on national values and patriotism. He urged the youth to practice what they have learned throughout this program.

The government is making significant efforts to ensure that future leaders are well-prepared and nurtured through youth engagement in sensitization training programs.

In an interview with Waliu Adeyeri, the Director of Administration for the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative (IDYI), he stated that the program focuses on training students in youth diplomacy, enabling them to represent various countries in Nigeria and across Africa.

The training focused on negotiation techniques and problem-solving in a diplomatic setting. The aim was to expose participants to a broader audience by simulating how operations are conducted in organizations such as the United Nations, among others.

Adeyeri significantly clarified that their partnership with AYDF (IDYI) aims to achieve this project.

The program has been invaluable as it has allowed students to learn and reinforce various techniques related to diplomacy.

“We have made resolutions from the event. These resolutions have been directed to the National Orientation Agency so that they can take action and develop important projects that will benefit both young and old,” Adeyeri stated.

Additionally, he conveyed his message to the youth, urging them to be problem solvers rather than procrastinators. There are numerous challenges that require solutions, and young people should act as think tanks to address any negative issues.

“We should not view Nigeria as a problem because we are Nigeria. Instead, we should be solution-driven. The youth must perceive their challenges as opportunities to propose solutions for self-capacity building and the sustainable development of nations across the African continent.”

In an interview with David Akinwunmi, a Faculty of Law student representing Lagos State University (LASU) in the International Diplomacy Simulation Program, he shared his observations about the program. He stated that while the program was good, he felt compelled to be honest: “If we are going to be sincere with ourselves, an observation raised by one of the organizers resonates with me. It seems that the majority of the stakeholders do not appear to be very passionate about the discussions we had. Some of them did not arrive on time, and even after arriving, some did not stay until the end of the program.”

It was somewhat discouraging because we were very observant of everything happening around us.

David also mentioned that he noticed some of the speeches given by the stakeholders were not aligned with the theme of the program. However, he stated,  the program was good in terms of reception, catering, quality, and organization.

David sincerely clarified his statement: “It is not an attempt to attack the stakeholders; it is simply what we observed during the trial.”

The second day of training was both mentally challenging and engaging.  sole responsibility today is to receive an award for what I accomplished yesterday (Day 2).

So yesterday was much more interesting and engaging for me, he said.

The international simulation activities were very engaging, as participants had less than 30 minutes to identify problems and propose solutions. They formed teams with individuals they had never seen or met before, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. “It was quite enlightening,” David stated.

In conclusion, David suggested that if the government sponsors and authenticates programs like this, it will cultivate more organized, focused, and proactive leaders for tomorrow, starting today.

LaRoyal Global CommunityNews🌐:
Copyright ©️ 2025.