YOUTH INTERVENTIONS, CORNERSTONE OF OUR NEW WORLD, REALITY OF OUR PRESENT AND THE BENCHMARK OF OUR FUTURE - OONI OF IFE

(L-R)House of Representatives Member representing Ife Federal Constituency, Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro, The Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare and some Awardees with His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife and Founder of the RAYLF.

The Olofin Adimula Jingbinni bi Ate Akun Arole Oduduwa, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Babatunde Akande Ogunwusi Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife has emphasized that the collective development of Africa as a continet depends on its younger generations.

Ooni stated this in an address at this Year's second edition of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum(RAYLF) Awards, an initiative by His Imperial Majesty where a hundred outstanding youths drawn from their different areas of endeavours across African continent are Awarded annually for their excellence in their chosen fields held at the Legendary Oduduwa Hall of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria on Saturday 29th May, 2021.

According to Ooni Ogunwusi, the Youths of Africa have what it takes to take the continent to its desired destination as they have demonstrated overtime through outstanding innovative entreprises even in the face of the harsh realities imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic that ravaged the entire world. 

"With millions of lives sadly lost and moments of grief shared, we will continue to seek for answers to the inexplicable struggle that we all suffered in the world of C0VID-19 where each moment was like the last. In the midst of the pandemic, the world was reset and we staked ultimately into a new normal of governance, trade engagements, social cohesion and integration of technology as a pivotal mechanism and culture into our survival. 

"At the heart of this development were Africa exceptional young generations who are emboldened to spin the mystery of Innovation into all our modern outlooks. Their interventions should be applauded as it is epic, surreal and inventive. They are the cornerstone of our new world, reality of our present and the benchmark of our future. With our youth, we are guaranteed that we can emerge stronger and prosperous", the address read in part.

This Year's edition of the event with the theme "Africa of the Future: Unlocking the Hidden Treasures of the Continent"

was according to his Imperial Majesty another great moment of recognizing and rewarding excellence and exceptional performance of identified youths in their respective fields. 

"Today marks another milestone of the paying special tribute to the conscientious and incredible endeavors of our exceptional young people across the nation despite the pushback that we had with COVID-19. At such a time as this, history is made again as we stand together at the second edition of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF) with outstanding awardees".

In attendance at the occasion that withnessed the presence of Youths in their thousands were dignitaries including the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, a Distinguished Member of the National Assembly, representing Ife Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Honorable Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro, ECOWAS Youth Ambassador and a Pioneer Recipient of the Award, Abiodun Sowemimo, Traditional Rulers, Chiefs among others.

In his speech, the Honorable Minister while congratulating the awardees also used the opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the present administration led by President Muhamadu Buhari to the course of the youth which according to him is evident in the various youth focussed programs and initiatives such as the N-Power Scheme, the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund among others, maintaining that the recipients of the awards would enjoy accelerated approval for the NYIF given all other criteria are met.

"I want to congratulate all the awardees of today. I just wondered whether at your age I archived anything close to what who have archived. As I was listening to your profiles, some of you are already in Six figures, nine figures and I think this should serve as inspirations to others out there among our youths. I hope you will go out there beyond receiving the plaques today to reach out and connect with other youths who have similar skills, who have dreams and visions who can also learn from you.

"I believe under this government in the last six years under President Muhamadu Buhari, a path has been created for youth development and I want you to connect with us through such program as the N-Power Scheme, the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund of N75 billion and I can go on and on. 

"Let me on behalf of President Muhamadu Buhari make this solemn announcement. You will recall that the N75 billion Nigerian Youth Investment Fund was launched last year. It is N25 billion per year. All the hundred awardees will be granted accelerated approval to be able to draw fund from the NYIF that will come directly to me and I will approve on behalf of President Muhamadu Buhari. 

"You can apply between N250 thousand to N10 million. All conditions apply but what you will get is accelerated approval. As I speak, over 5,300 Nigerian Youths have already benefited from the fund", the minister said.

The event was also a particularly special day for 50 lucky students of the host University, OAU as His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, founder of the RAYLF gave away N500,000 shared to them.