One Youth Global Vows to Secure Economic Freedom for Africa, Unlock Youth Potential

…laments rising insecurity in Nigeria

By, Uchenna Okah, Abakaliki

A nongovernmental organisation, One Youth Global, has vowed to raise leaders, secure economic freedom for Africa and unlock the potential of youth across the African continent, especially in Nigeria.

The organisation, however, decried the rising insecurity in Nigeria, which, according to it, affected the participation of some African countries at Spark Nation 3.0, a programme themed “Raising change makers across Africa,” held at the permanent site of Ebonyi State University.

The President of One Youth Global, Mr UcheChukwu Agbo, made this known while speaking to journalists shortly after Spark Nation 3.0 was flagged off.

The programme featured a leadership boot camp, debate and quiz competition for students selected from over ten African countries.

Agbo said that Spark Nation 3.0 was designed for secondary school students and would impact 250 schools, over 3,000 students and 660 teachers, while increasing the access of 560 African youths to formal education.

According to him, “Over the past few years, Africa has faced quite a number of challenges, and indeed it has done so since independence. We know that there was a generation that fought and won political independence for Africa. There is now a generation that needs to free Africa from economic shackles. Ours is that generation.

“So, Spark Nation is geared towards raising a new generation of leaders who understand that enterprise development and solving problems form the crux of leadership.

“We have 192 schools from across West and Central Africa registered for Spark Nation 3.0. As a matter of fact, we received entries from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Chad, Liberia and other nations across West and Central Africa.

“But at the end of the day, due to the fear of the spate of insecurity that now bedevils Nigeria, some of the parents could not allow their children to attend the championship in Nigeria. The students wanted to come, but their parents could not allow them to risk their lives in that way.

“However, that is precisely one of the reasons why Spark Nation was created. Africa is asking many questions of her leaders, and one of those questions is that of insecurity.

“Our target is to develop a new generation of young leaders across Africa, who will ensure that no part of Africa is unsafe for people to visit because they fear for their lives.

“I believe that basic security is a fundamental human right, and nobody should have to live in such state of precarity that they do not have basic right to life in their communities. 

“We want to raise a generation of problem solvers across different parts of Africa; problem solvers who will solve insecurity across the continent,” he stressed.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, who addressed the teeming students, revealed his administration’s preparedness to boost education, fight social vices and ensure adequate protection of lives and property in the state.

Nwifuru, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu, charged the participants to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the forthcoming elections.

“My administration has deliberately opened the gates for youth participation. We are investing in infrastructure that connects your farm produce to markets. We are also earmarking skills and entrepreneurship funds to reduce the risks on your ideas.

“There is governance inclusion, too, by appointing youths into boards and agencies. The Charter is a platform, but a platform is useless if you refuse to stand on it.

“So, I ask you not politely, but politically: Are you registered? Do you have your PVC? Are you in party structures, and not just on Twitter, Instagram and Meta? Are you preparing to contest in 2027, 2031 and 2035?

“Ebonyi cannot be handed over to the next generation by accident. It must be handed over by design, and you must be part of that design.

“Every great nation was built by youths who refused to be defined by hardship. I charge you to think globally while building locally. One Youth Global is already leading the charge in that regard. I encourage you to join the move. Use global knowledge to solve Ebonyi, Nigerian and African problems,” he stated.

In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Ebonyi State University, Prof. Ike-Elechi Ogba, charged the participants to shun social media distractions and focus more on creating solutions to the multiple challenges facing the African continent, and Nigeria in particular.

“The only way to build the youths in society is to pull them away from social media distractions and bring them into an environment where they can concentrate and focus on what they are supposed to do, which is to learn and build their future,” he noted.

On his part, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Michael Aja Nwachukwu, applauded One Youth Global for seeking solutions to the problems facing African countries, especially Nigeria, and decried the rising insecurity in the nation.

According to him, “Insecurity is an issue, and everybody knows about that. I was with the House of Representatives Committee on Security, and we discussed at length the issues of insecurity in this country, including our borders, which are empty and porous.

“The volume of insurgents here, I do not know how to explain it. It is all over the place. People can feel it; Nigeria is insecurity personified.

“Insecurity does not spare teachers. Members of their families have been kidnapped, and some have died in kidnappers’ hideouts. My advice is that Nigerians are ready for other solutions to it.

“We have been abandoned by the government, even though it is the responsibility of the government to protect the lives and property of Nigerians. So, since we cannot be helped, 

“we are helping ourselves. We are waiting for them to wake up from their slumber. We are now hearing of state police. I hope that will make some sense; if it does, good luck to us,” he emphasised.

The occasion also drew an array of eminent personalities, among them the renowned novelist and literary scholar, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Nnamdi Okezie, Chinedu Ugbah and several others.