As part of activities to mark the 2024 International Youth Day celebration, the Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation has organized a digital workshop for students with a view to exposing them to various digital tools and opportunities and to prepare them for future leadership roles .
At a one-day workshop held at the Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe, Anambra State, recently, the Foundation said it deemed it fit to equip the youths with relevant skills to enable them thrive in the expansive digital economy and shape them for a better future and the society as a whole.
In a key note address, a lecturer at the Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe, Lady Chinwe Nebolisa challenged students to explore the opportunities in the digital space . She laid emphasis on the digital tools in trends today like AI and stated that some of these tools have potentials to change the course of ones career in a very massive dimension. She made reference to the multiplier effect digitization has had on economies like UAE and opined that unless African leaders start doing something radically and urgently, Nigeria will continue to be years behind in digitization.
The speaker spoke on theme of the event, titled, ‘From clicks to progress: Youths digital pathways for sustainable development’,
She added that the theme was apt because young people must embrace digital learning through the right ways for social impact and emancipation.
In his remark, Executive Director, International Youth Day Celebration, Precious Okpala, added that African youths’ pathway to sustainable development lies in their ability to utilise, in best possible ways and practices, the digital space to remain progressively competitive.
Continuing Okpala said, “The aim of this event is to gather young people and equip them with the right skills on digital pathways for sustainable development. If you observe the happenings around us, you will see that a lot of youths are misusing the Internet and digital space and are using it wrongly.
“This shows that today’s youths need a proper guide on the best digital practices to prepare them for a better future and leadership role. They need to be properly equipped so they stop using it wrongly. It is said that when you do not know the original or the right one, you will not know the counterfeit one.
“The International Youth Day celebration holds every August 12, but UDUF chose to celebrate on August 23. The theme for this year’s event gears towards youth’s pathway for sustainable development and it is aimed at equipping young Africans with skills to strive in the digital economy, entrepreneurial empowerment and ensuring a brighter future.
“It also aims to promote digital inclusion, engaging skills development, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship advocating for policy support. We urged the young leaders to embrace digital learning for social impact to elaborate for more knowledge.”
She added that the success of the programme could not be achieved without the impact of the committees that are working to sharpen the youths and ensuring they move progressively through the impact of digital literacy and sustainable development.
One of the Members of board of Directors UDUF Africa, Uchenna Nwosu, said the aim and vision is to be a sought after organization that will inspire Africa’s new generation of young servant leaders and entrepreneurs who are ethical and community service-oriented.
Nwosu said, “This exercise aims to connect, inspire, transform and provide skills acquisition for unemployed and underemployed young entrepreneurs and political leaders to serve humanity and communities in Africa.
“The group is not sponsored by government, but young individuals who came together and formed a platform with their time and resources for the betterment of the African youths.”
The highlights of the event were group panel discussion anchored by the Secretary of the Foundation, Ambassador Udo Ezeudo. It featured session with Amb Dr Kelvin Chukwu, Console Adaolisa and Olusegun Oluebube Sogbesan who their used personal experiences to narrate how their various endeavors were scaled with digital tools.
The discussants who were experts also highlighted the importance of equipping the youths with digital best practices to enable them play future leadership roles effectively.
At the event which was attended by over 150 students, Founder of UDUF Africa,Dr Ezuma Smart Chinedu encouraged participants to take what they learnt from the event with every seriousness. He said when put in practice, knowledge acquired from the workshop could serve as a great springboard for the participants in their various endeavors.
Among those that were at the event was the Provost, Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Dr justina Anyadiegwu, represented by the Dean Student Affairs, Law Egbomuche,SUG President of the institution, Comrd.Kingsley I Anusi.
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