Former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke says deliberately grooming successful youth leaders with the right skills set from a very young age is the pathway to becoming globally competitive as a country.
He noted that the earlier young people in Nigeria are exposed to leadership and entrepreneurial training, the higher the probability of successful outcomes.
Imoke who is the founder of the Bridge Leadership Foundation (TBLF) said part of his vision is to raise a community of inspired, equipped and influential young leaders who lead themselves and others.
Speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Imoke observes that lack quality of education, eroding societal value systems and inability to access to capacity building opportunities are some of the challenges bedevilling youth development in Nigeria.
According to him, “When it comes to grooming quality leaders in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world, it is important for the people that are being groomed to understand their why because if you understand your why you will not be disrupted by corruption and godfatherism”.
Currently, he said the Foundation has and is partnering with private sector players who share the vision of grooming the next generation of leaders. “Qualified and capable leadership anywhere in the world, can only be enthroned when we share and work together to achieve a common vision”, Imoke said.
Commenting on the impact of the programmes like the Career Day and The Bridge Awards, the former governor said cumulatively the foundation have impacted over 53,510 persons through these programmes directly.
“161 students received scholarships, 110 students were mentored and 898 public secondary school teachers trained. 704 youths have been trained on work readiness skills, 4,950 students equipped with leadership skills and 38,630 youths inspired to lead successful personal, career and leadership outcomes. Over 213 communities have been reached”.
“Over 57 student-led change projects have so far been initiated by students to the benefit of other students, their schools and communities. Over 451 volunteers and mentors have supported our projects”, he said.
On the way forward for the foundation, Imoke disclosed that with the right programmes, initiatives, partnerships and collaborations, the foundation would have directly impacted over 500,000 youths by 2030 and in so doing, positively impacted Nigeria and Africa.
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