Lagos State empowers 1000 youth in leadership summit

The Lagos State Government has empowered over 1000 young people at its Lagos Leadership Summit held Thursday in Lagos.

The summit, themed ‘Leadership and Nigeria’s Future’, was put together by the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, a leadership academy created for youth leadership empowerment by the Sanwo-Olu-led administration.

In attendance were dignitaries including Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State; Kadiri Obafemi, the deputy governor of Lagos State; Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Federal Minister of Works and Housing; Ayodele Olawande, Federal Minister of Youth; and Bosun Tijani, Federal Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

While delivering the opening remarks, Ayisat Agbaje, Executive Secretary for the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, said that the summit was put together to spark conversations about leadership and the future of Nigeria.

“As we look ahead to Nigeria’s future, we must recognize that our destiny lies in the hands of those who lead us, therefore, investing in our dynamic youth population is crucial as it nurtures future leaders equipped with innovative solutions, shaping the trajectory of Nigeria’s future,” she stated.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor presented thirty young pioneer fellows of the leadership academy, stating that they were Lagos’ contribution to Nigeria’s leadership pool.

“We took it upon ourselves to honour the life of Lateef Jakande by training a crop of young leaders through the 1-year Lateef Jakande Fellowship. The 30 of them are of diverse backgrounds, from different parts of the country, which signifies our modest contribution to the leadership discourse of our country,” he said.

He also announced that applications for the second cohort of the fellowship opened today.

Speaking on the issue of youth representation in governance, Rinsola Abiola, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on Citizenship and Leadership said that although the representation of young people in governance was improving, there is room for improvement.

“Having more young people in governance would ensure they feel a sense of belonging in governance. Although there are many excellent young people in governance, there are still not enough because the representation does not cut across Nigeria,” she said.

The Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy offers youth an opportunity to experience governance processes via a one-year fellowship. The inaugural cohort was unveiled in February 2023 with 30 beneficiaries known as fellows.