A New Nigeria: Foundation targets 20 million youths as change agents

A foundation under the auspices of Ashoka Africa, yesterday said it is targeting 20 million Nigerian youths as change-makers who will thrive in solving Nigeria’s complex challenges.

The Initiative’s Venture and Fellowship Manager for Anglophone West Africa, Mr Ikenna Anyadike, made the disclosure in Abuja at the media dialogue.

With a theme, ‘Everyone a Change Maker: Accelerating the EACH Movement’, Anyadike expressed the need for increase in skills acquisition programs for youths in order to develop them for self-reliance life, adding that youths are the new game of changer across the world.

Anyadike added that the Foundation’s programmes and activities provide enabling ecosystem for young change-makers to thrive by connecting them to change-making tools, opportunities and supportive networks.

“Ashoka envisions a world where everyone is a change maker. We believe that the world will surely be a better place if every Nigerian, every African and every one the world-over realizes and owns their power to contribute to the common good of all.

“Our plan is to activate at least, 20 million Nigerians by 2024, who will embrace everyone’s achievement and work towards ‘Everyone, a Changemaker’ idea within their communities and anywhere they find themselves.”

Anyadike who emphasized the crucial role of the media in changing the world into a better place added that “the only way the Initiative can shift the mindset of 20 million Nigerians and help them to step out as powerful creators in the new reality is when the media takes a lead in informing, educating and inspiring everyone by sharing the ‘Empowering Each’ messages”, he said.

In her remarks, the Executive Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA), Dr. Uju Agomoh, stated that economy, security, peace and unity would be the watchword if Nigerians work together as change makers.

According to her, “Every one of us can transform the environment positively. We can make our environment better than we meet it. And this is one of the messages that Ashoka Africa wants to get through to every Nigerian.

“If every one of us can do whatever we can do at our own space, within our own sphere of influence, then, the cumulative effects would be better for Nigerians. And this is what we want to begin to preach for the leaders and followers to do, then we will get Nigeria working the way we would like to see it work.

Also speaking, a participant at the dialogue, Nnenna Esther Isu-Omo believed that people now live in a new reality that is defined by rapid change, complexity and uncertainty.

“To thrive in this new reality and solve complex challenges in the society, we have to do things differently.

“This is what we call the new game of change-making. It is therefore important for young people in Nigeria and in Africa to self-identify as change-makers and find an enabling and supportive ecosystem to practice change-making.

“Ashoka’s mission to reach and empower everyone is so important because new inequality arises for millions of people who are not developing and practicing change-making skills for creative solutions”, she stated.