By Adekunle Williams
[NAN]The Lagos State Government has partnered with Ashoka Young Changemaker, the largest global network of social entrepreneurs to launch a programme that will inspire changemakers between the age of 10 to 21 years.
The Co-Founder, Ashoka Young Changemakers (AYC), Mr Yashveer Singh, made this known during the official launching of “Everyone A Changemaker (EACH) Movement in Nigeria” in Lagos on Thursday.
Singh explained that with a population of over 200 million people, 62 per cent of whom were under the age of 21, Nigeria remains an important power on the African continent in inspiring the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
Singh, who is also the Global Director of the movement, added that this group of youths would in turn contribute to Africas development and create a better world for all.
He stated that the partnership with the state government was to promote changemaking in both primary and secondary schools in the state.
The global director noted that changemaking, which was the new education was the most essential skill for thriving in the world today.
“Education is no longer just about what students read in textbooks and get taught in school. It is also about the messages and impressions that children and young people are exposed to everyday on various platforms.
“This is the reasons we are partnering with different state governments starting with Lagos to advocated that every Nigeria could be a Changemaker beginning from young Nigerians between the age of 10 to 20 years.
“They are the role model and young Nigerians that have step out of their comfort zones and taken initiative that lies around them which is special.
“All of us can look back when we are teenagers, i don’t think we were doing what this young talented children of nowadays are doing so we are here to celebrate them and connect them.
“So we are here to give a special message to the country that Nigeria is a special place because it is one of the largest number of youth population not just for this country but for the whole wold.
Singh said the world was looking at Africa today to give them the solutions to new ideas and he thought the future was in the hands of the Nigeria youths to become contributors to the development of a better society.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo said the Ashoka Young Changemakers would do a lot of good because education had developing the children to be self reliant.
Adefisayo, represented by the Director, Special Duties and Innovation, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Adeyemi Adebayo, noted that children of nowadays were now full of new ideas, developments that you could push the country forward.
“You will notice that the only sustainable way to drive development is collaboration so you will see a lot of people with different ideas.
“But when you scrutinise the ideas you need to be sure that the one you are signing on to resonate with your plan development.
“So that is why the state government is partnering with Ashoka will further change the orientation of children to be self reliant and children nowadays are full of new ideas and developments.
“So, if you look at Ashoka, they have a lot of social entrepreneurs around the world who will support the ideas of our children between the age of 10 to 21 in the primary and secondary schools.
“I don’t know if you are aware of the Elumelu Foundations and what he is doing, cannot reach all primary and secondary schools but if we empower our children to think independently and provide them with the necessary support.
“Then en they will be the beneficial of the ideas and in the long run it will be a better thing for the society,” she said.
The Commissioner noted that this movement had identified a crop of changemaker’s children and we would see a lot of them solving problems in the society.
She said this idea would enable them to look inwards and look at problems the society was facing and develop a homegrown solutions for those problems instead of thinking of technology to address our issues.
Also, the Vice President, Youth Years Ashoka Africa, Mr Okey Uzoechina, noted that the launching of Ashoka movement was an historic moment that would thrive the country and in Africa.
Uzoechina said over the years, they had been supported Ashoka fellows in Africa, who were already leading, supporting and identifying young fellows in their various fields.
He noted that today was the first day they would be selecting Ashoka young changemakers for the first time in Africa and here in Nigeria.
Uzoechina said it want to reach and empower every girl, boy, woman, man in the country with the essential skills, tools, resources and tools.
The vice president added that the group would also inspire story of changemaking for them to realise that they already had a changemaking in them.
He said: “The world as change so much that you cannot even recognize what it use to be today from what it used to be in 20 years ago.
“The world right now is define by the change, complexities and uncertainty and we need to raise our children up with the skills with master this kind reality that did not exist 15 to 20 years ago.”
Uzoechina said imagine a space of change of what the world is now and what it would be like in 15 to 20 years from this time, were children in schools really ready to confront and thrive in the reality of life.