Wale Jagun
Leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Lagos State chapter, has disclosed its programmes for this year’s edition of the International Youth Day.
This year’s celebration is dedicated to honour Late Tolulope Oluwatoyin Sarah Arotile, the first-ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Nigerian Air Force who died recently.
In a release signed by Comrade Lekan Biliamin Oba, NYCN State Chairman, the youth body said that the International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the United Nations for the purpose of drawing attention to issues surrounding youths globally.
“The International Youth Day is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and social issues surrounding youths globally. It is observed on the 12th of August each year”, he said.
Theme for this year’s celebration, which is slated to hold between 10th – 23rd August, 2020, is “Youth Engagement for Global Action”.
According to the statement, features for the 2020 International Youth Day in the state will feature: My COVID – 19 Impact Story, donation of nose masks, NYCN Lagos website activation and COVID – 19 Need2Know Webinar.
The statement further states that the celebration for this year is designed to showcase contributions to national development and how it can be improved.
“It seeks to highlight the ways and approach in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global level is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as drawing lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional theatrics can be significantly enhanced”.
Also in the statement, the chairman said that NYCN will also use this year’s celebration to engage youths on global action.
“The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, is keyed to make the 2020 IYD more impactful by engaging the young citizens for global action as we curb the spread of COVID-19 and to make our communities free from the deadly pandemic.
While stating that distribution of 5,000 face masks is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the youth body, he added that the face masks will be distributed across the three Senatorial Districts in the state.
He stated that the launch of the website by the umbrella body of the youths in the state is to capture youth activities in the state.
“The need to capture data of Lagos State youths, home-and-abroad, and aligning them with the 21st century global reach, prompted the website activation. The website will showcase the youths’ activities in Lagos State”.
The Chairman also stated that three youths that helped their communities in curbing the COVID 19 pandemic will also be honoured.
“NYCN Lagos is changing the narratives of this year’s International Youth Day by identifying and celebrating young people that have helped their communities to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
“The efforts by youths between the ages of 18 to 35 will be received via the council’s official email and will be shared on the NYCN YouTube Channel, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages with the hashtag #covid19impactstory.
“This experience and pictorial/video shared will go through the in-house Jury and Public jury to decide the most laudable COVID-19 Impact project.
“However, we will have 3 winners to split the cash prize which will be expended on projects in their communities”.
Also according to the statement, this year’s youth day will also feature sensitization on dangers and how to curb the pandemic through Webinar.
