Nigerian youths have been urged to invest in self-development to prepare for the future of work and career growth. This was the submission of speakers during the Rose of Sharon Foundation’s (ROSF) bi-annual Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) convened by Apostle Folorunso Alakija last Saturday in Lagos.
In her opening remarks, the Country Manager of the Foundation, Dr Ndudi Bowei said that “the Youth Empowerment Programme is geared towards building the capacity of young people and provide them leverage as they seek opportunities to become entrepreneurs or employees”.
According to Bowei, this edition of YEP was targeted at offering pathways for career progression and transition for the youths. She further said that the teeming Nigerian youth were being afforded the opportunity to learn how to build skills that would impact their self-development, to help them to access economic opportunities, and remain relevant in the job market.
“This edition of YEP was intended to avail youth with the knowledge needed to improve themselves as they seek opportunities in the job market or as entrepreneurs – and employers of Labour. In addition to gaining invaluable insight from our speakers who are top industry experts, we will also be rewarding some of the participants with a fully paid 6-weeks tech-based course”, she said.
She stressed that the programme, which had “Career Progression and Transition; Mega Trends for Viable Employment” as the theme, had, over the years, consistently helped to reinforce the unique opportunities in Nigeria while also preparing youths for the jobs they really need.
The Chief Vision Officer of Bosworth Marketing Consulting, Mrs. Bukola Majekodunmi, who spoke on “Thriving as an Entrepreneur in Uncertain Times”, urged aspiring entrepreneurs to always create room for contingency plans regardless of how their businesses might turn out.
Majekodunmi, who gave tips on what must be done to succeed in business, charged the youths to be open to mentorship and build quality relationships and networks.
“When you are facing a complex situation, you must respond with clarity. In a crisis situation, it is better to keep building. Uncertainty is not necessarily bad news. You must embrace uncertainty, and create room for it in order to insulate your business against shock. Identify new ways of thinking and doing things differently”, she said.
Chief Executive Officer, Lifecrest Medical Services Limited, Dr Ogonnaya Ndupu said that for young people to be highly productive in the workplace, there is a need to ensure mental health balance.
Ndupu, who is a behavioural professional and consultant psychiatrist, said it is the responsibility of every youth to take care of their mental health, noting that mental health is not a mental illness. She further noted that maintaining good mental health was fundamental to career development and vice versa.
On his part, Head of Business Development, Phillips Outsourcing Limited, Adeleke Adeoti mentioned digital transformation, remote work, upskilling and reskilling, diversity, and inclusion as some megatrends in the employment market.
He urged the youths to make a good impression of competence in these trends through their curriculum vitae as this reflects their personality in the workplace. According to Adeoti, every aspiring employee must be ready to defend their resume whenever the need arises. He added that self-assessment, research, and skills development are good starting points for effective career progression.
A major highlight of the event was the emergence of Mrs. Mary Otukpe as winner of the six-week tech-based course.
The Rose of Sharon Foundation equally hosted its first-ever YEP LinkedIn Live on 19th April, featuring top career development and progression experts Dr Enoch Adewumi Oyeduntan, and Ginika Obinna-Okorie. The live event was aimed at enlightening attendees on global trends and developments shaping the employment market and how young people can prepare to take advantage of local and international career opportunities.
Registered as a non-profit, faith-based, non-governmental organisation, ROSF focused on alleviating the plight of widows, their children, and orphans, through programs that guarantee financial independence and educational opportunities, and assure greater self-esteem and ease of socioeconomic integration.
Since its inception, it has directly impacted the lives of over 4,262 widows through vocational training, interest-free loans, residential/business accommodation, access to medical care, and educational scholarships to over 1,971 widows’ children and 322 orphans. This makes it one of the few NGOs in the country to provide widows with this level of assistance.
The YEP is ROSF ’s career development and capacity-building program for graduates, job seekers, and working-class and self-employed youths. Since 2017, the programme has served to re-orientate the minds of Nigeria’s youth, motivating them on the need to be diligent in their dealings, as this will cause them to succeed in their chosen endeavours.
