From Okwe Obi, Abuja
GOTNI Leadership Centre has attributed the deficiency in leadership training and mentorship to the problems plaguing the country.
It, also, noted that the youth would continue to grope in ignorance and joblessness if the do not broaden their skills in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), following the changing dynamics of the world.
Founder of the Centre, Linus Okorie stated this on Friday in Abuja, at the Emerging Leaders Conference, titled: “The Future of Work.”
Okorie reiterated his call for the government to vote funds for constant training and retraining of youths, to enable them be at par with their contemporaries globally.
He explained that the Emerging Leaders Conference would provide an opportunity for young people to network with their peers across the country and different sectors of the economy, thus inspiring a peer-review mechanism that will strengthen their commitment to continuous improvement, growth, and making positive contributions to their immediate environment and the country at large.
“Technology is rising. Globalization is huge. So what it means is that these changing environments sometimes, will actually get people off work. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs.
“So because of that, it is important that for young people to begin now to prepare themselves with the type of leadership skills that they need to function in this new world we’re talking about.
“It is important for these young people to build the resilience to build the emotional intelligence required to build that adaptability skills a even the technological knowledge required to be able to thrive in this new economy.
“And we are going to begin to generate a group of young people who are already going to love what they do, so that they can celebrate the work that they do.
“Nations of the world that have been able to make progress invest in young people as assets, to prepare them for the opportunities and the challenges that are ahead.
And that is why this Emerging Leaders Conference to me is one of the biggest things that will happen to Nigeria this year as a result of the benefits,” he said.
He added: “We have assembled some of the best minds from within and outside Nigeria to come and speak to this young people.
“And I am already thrilled by the celebration of knowledge, the energy that is in the room, and I believe that it will inspire the political class to also
to invest so that they will love this country like never before.
“The love for nation is important. The love for nation is critical. The love for nation is what builds the type of really resilience. We need a critical mass of people that believe that leadership development is important for nation building.
“And if we do not do this, if we do not invest in these young people to love this country, then we will make the mistake of allowing these young people to become liability for the future. And for me, it is important for the growth of our country.”
The speakers are the Minister of Youths Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim; Chief Executive Officer of Spex Telecom Services, Elston Monford; Chairman Gtext Holdings, Stephen Akintayo; Founder Arise Monalisa Foundation, Monalisa Chinda among others.