Kunle ADELABU
-Seek for public supports
The Ikorodu-born Lagos State Youth Ambassador, Amb. Habeeb Balogun, has revealed plans by youths ambassadors across the state and solicited the support of the public in ensuring their successes.
He also revealed some of the achievements of the state recognized and sponsored body since its inauguration last September during a courtesy visit to THE IMPACT office in Ikorodu on Tuesday.
Balogun is the leader of the 60 Lagos Youths Ambassadors under the aegis of the Eko Youths Academy, which is an initiative of the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, aimed at training and developing the capacity of the youths in the state for leadership positions.
The first circle of the programmes was between 2017 and August 2018 while the second circle, being headed by Amb. Balogun, will run between August 2018 to October 2019.
Twelve youths from the 20 Local Governments in the state were selected from 500 that put in for the programme after a rigorous training with Amb. Balogun as the overall head.
Amb. Balogun,while highlighting the plans for 2019, listed youth symposium, continuation of sensitization across schools and clean up Ikorodu among others.
“Coming up on 1st of February 2019, we plan to host a youth symposium by bringing together all youth groups/organizations/associations to harmonize efforts towards the development of the youths in Ikorodu division.
“We will also be touring schools in the division for the continuation of our sensitization project.
“Another progarmme that we have is the ‘Clean-up’ Ikorodu project. We plan to partner with LAWMA in cleaning Sabo market, Ikorodu garage and other places”.
He also stated that they plan to have Career fair for schools and sensitization on Mental health, drug abuse, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH).
While soliciting for the public support, Balogun stated that, “the execution of these programmes is dependent on the supports we get from the Ikorodu community”.
According to him, youths ambassadors across the 20 councils have been able to achieve quite a lot in the last 4 months of the existence of the circle.
“We have been able to achieve quite a lot in each of the councils and the state generally.
“We have been involved in the mobilization of youths and in making them aware of programmes concerning them in the Ministry of Youths and Social Development.
“We have also helped the ministry in celebrating the World Aids Day and mobilizing public participation, especially our youths, towards the event”.
He stated that in Ikorodu, the group has distributed relief materials to the Divine Orphanage Home at Gintin, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and sensitized students at Ikorodu Grammar School on teenage pregnancy and time management.
“We have also been able to distribute some relief materials to the Divine Heritage Orphanage last December. We also sensitized them on how to focus on better future and effects of teenage delinquencies”, he said.
“In January 2019, the ambassadors kicked off their school sensitization tour in Ikorodu Grammar School where they talked to over 500 students on issues such as Teenage Pregnancy, Drug Abuse and Time management.
“We feel that schools are the best channel to reach out to the youths”.
Other programmes organised in the last 4 months were mobilization of youths adolescent, social and reproductive health across the councils.
Amb. Awoyemi Omobolaji is serving as the Ikorodu Divisional Ambassador with 13 other youths as ambassadors. Among these are Abagun Latifat Oriyomi, Oyekan Omolara Habeebah, Oreoluwa Garba, Odutayo Ruth, Ukwelenwa Esther, Ogunbowale Olatayo, Demilade Farouqat and Jesutofunmi.
Others are Ambassadors Moyosore Ogunfodunrin, Deborah Adegbola, Oloruntade Ganiyu, Ezekiel and Oladunke Koyinsola.
