Youths Want Nigerians to Support IGLSA, Urge Institute to do more for Potential Leaders

Participants at the Three Day Governance and Leadership Mentoring Clinic held in Abuja recently have called on governments at all levels, private organizations, diplomatic corps and donor organizations to support the Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa, IGLSA in its quest to empower Nigeria’s potential leaders.

About 100 participants from various youths’ organizations such as Non-Governmental Organizations, NGOs, clubs and associations and the media were selected from across the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja. The participants urge IGLSA to embark on more membership drive in order to prepare more Nigerian youths for good leadership role.

In a Communiqué issued after the program which was jointly signed by the Executive Director, NGO Network, Kaduna, Mohammed Bougei Attah and Editor-in-Chief of SECURITY MONITOR, Lagos, participants reiterated the need to Improve youths’ participation in governance. They charge Nigerian youths on the need to demand accountability, transparency, rapid growth and development from their leaders and also urge for more participation of youths and media organizations in fostering good governance in the country.

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Ambassador Seeks ftan’s collaboration to market Ethiopian Cultural tourism offerings in Nigeria* By Frank Meke Ethiopian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, His Excellency Legesse Gerenew Haile says his country, Ethiopia is ready to open up and excite the cultural tourism trade link with Nigeria which will help boost the three trillion dollars intra Africa continental economy. The Ambassador, who is barely a month in office in Nigeria, disclosed that Nigeria is a huge cultural tourism source market in Africa and holds a top place in his heart, hence his focal intention to collaborate with the Nigerian private sector premier umbrella tourism trade organisation, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( ftan) to market Ethiopian tourism in Nigeria. Addressing ftan delegation led by the president, Mr Nkereweum Onung at the Ethiopian Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the Ambassador, noted that he has followed with keen interest the various activities of the Nigerian private sector tourism federation since assumption of office, hence his invitation to the association leadership to find ways to drive the Ethiopian Nigeria tourism trade relations. ” I must express my gratitude to have you and your team here today in our embassy, which I believe would activate one of the biggest cultural tourism economic developments in Africa. Ethiopia is not strange to Nigerians, but we want to further escalate the various cultural tourism offerings in our country to Nigerians, which would cement and boost closer relationship with Nigerians in particular and other African nations in general ” the Ambassador explained further. He stressed his resolve to collaborate and engage the Nigerian tourism federation to change the cultural tourism trade narratives between both countries, adding that his mission in Nigeria is to accomplish the all-important goal while here in Nigeria without let. ” Ethiopia is ready and willing to welcome Nigerians to our country. We love Nigerians and will like them to know more about us apart from our airline and airport in addis Ababa. We have several historical and religious sites in our country, and our hospitality is top notch with vibrant trade groups and bodies such as your federation, which through our ministry of tourism, we can invite to sit down with you to find ways to work out specific opportunities to boost this relationship. Part of my mission here is to facilitate this opportunity, and I am happy to receive your group here today, ” the ambassador reiterated. In his remarks, ftan president, Mr Nkereweum Onung, commended the initiative of the Ambassador, describing it as the first pro African cultural tourism diplomatic agenda focal to practical mobilisation of cultural tourism diversity of the intra Africa continental trade economy which still begs for breaking down of various barriers to its operational survival. ” we at ftan commend your vision to partner with our organisation which has over 14 sub trade associations under its umbrella. We promise and assure you that we shall process this invitation and support it. We know the Ethiopian airline brand, which is quite huge and proudly African, and to which Nigerians patronise without let. Your tourism and hospitality infrastructure is also exciting, and we shall see how your visa regime works out and that includes other opportunities that would facilitate this collaboration. We shall not rule out intentional trade missions to both countries to further study how to perfect the initiative and in the areas of training and retraining offerings, ” ftan president further noted. Ftan president who took time to also introduce the newly elected president of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria ( Atpn) Prince Femi Fadina, who was part of his entourage, and praised the Ambassador for the call for collaboration which other African Ambassadors must emulate to practically oxygenate the three trillion dollars inter African continental trade economy. In another trade visit to the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC) Obi Asika in Abuja, ftan president stated that any cultural tourism policy which did not have the input and support of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, will only end as an excise in vain, assuring the NCAC boss of the collaboration and support of the Federation. ” we want to work with you and is happy that both culture and tourism are on the same boat now but we want to see a more practical robust relationship as was done by your predecessor and to which we believe you can take to a higher level of delivery responsibilities.” Ftan president noted. Earlier, the NCAC Director General explained that his focal agenda is to create an enabling environment to which the private sector can effectively own the cultural tourism business in Nigeria to help boost trade revenue and also create jobs for teeming unemployed Nigerians. ” I am a policy person and not really a politician, and I am open to effectual collaboration and relationship with the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( ftan). Before you came, I had hosted some trade associations, and I wonder how I will process all of them individually, so I am happy to have you around and look forward to where we all, possibly with the ministry would sit down in serious working session to evaluate our expectations and see to how the Federation can help us add value to various cultural tourism policies which should be driven by the organised private sector with government providing guidance and support where necessary ” Mr obi Asika reiterated . The NCAC boss used the opportunity to officially invite the ftan delegation to the command flag off of the National festival of Arts and Culture ( Nafest) on Saturday in Abuja, adding that the festival would run through the 24th to 30th of November in Abuja

The program was declared opened by Adamawa State Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, with a Keynote Address that observed that “a major factor which had assailed development in the country, and indeed, in Africa was the severe gap in the capacities for governance and leadership by successor generations.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr Lanre Adebayo, IGLSA Director General, DG, urges participants to develop mentors so as to possess needed skills for leadership role. The DG added that the objectives of the Clinic is to develop Nigerian youth leaders with capacity and skills in leadership and governance, to establish an alumni structure of the mentees of the program with a view to providing a national platform for sustainability, mutual reinforcement and attracting attention to issues of governance and leadership.

Professor Nuhu O. Yaqub, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, who served as the Chairman of the Day One, charges the participants to take the Clinic seriously and inculcate the habit of reading, noting that every good leader is a good learner.

A special presentation on the topic: Democracy, Development and National Security was made by Major General K.A Role (Rtd) former GOC, 1 Mechanized Infantry Division, Nigerian Army. And Goodwill messages were delivered from the National Youth Council of Nigeria and some media practitioners.

The first technical paper on the topic ‘Understanding the Role of Multilateral Organizations in Development and Poverty Eradication Program was delivered by Mr. Emmanuel Akinwumi, the President and CEO of Financing and Partnerships Africa limited. Day 1 Session closed with interactive session on the papers and speeches and constitution of Syndicate Groups on GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP, presentations were made by leaders of the two syndicate groups.

Ayodele Folayan, Former Federal Permanent Secretary in his presentation titled; ‘Policy Processes, Management and National Development. Mr. Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke, National Program Manager, United Kingdom UK-Aid Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn, PERL, delivered another paper on the topic; Principles, Processes and Practice of Governance

Comrade Wale Ajani, Former President of National Youth Council of Nigeria. Ambassador Dr. Chema Chikwe, Former Minister of Aviation and Former Nigeria High Commissioner to Ireland, Dr. Hope Uweja, Country Director. Results for Development (R4D) Nigeria, Dr. Sina Fagbenro-Bryon, Solomon Adodo, President, National Youth Council of Nigeria and Professor Nuhu O. Yaqub, former Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja mount the podium in turn to share their experiences about governance and leadership process in Nigeria

The third day witnessed an interactive session with reviews and presentations by each and all the participants as well as presentations of certificates to all participants.

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