Mr Anthony Obiorah, Head of media Unit, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Anambra State Directorate, said that youths are the real agent of change.
Obiorah said in an interview with The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday that youths desired to be re-orientated to measure up to present day leadership challenges.
He said that contemporary leaders have recognised youths of today as future leaders in various capacities in the country and as such there is the need for them to be well tailored to handle leadership positions.
Obiorah said that it is most expedient that these youths are groomed with the goal to create a more efficient environments for youthful leadership with transformational and development skills.
He said that youths as leaders and change agents of various groups, organisations and institutions in the state require a high sense of strategic thinking as an essential tool to help them achieve success in leadership ventures.
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“Our youths are meant to contribute optimally towards the growth and development of the nation and Anambra state in particular for a better place to live in by all.
“Youths are a global gauge considered to be the next generation with characteristics such as enthusiasm and vitality that can contribute immensely to discover new ideas for greater development.
“A well-groomed youth would perform like his mates in the Western world where a better socio-economic and political environment are championed by young heads for all to flourish and live happily in,” he said.
Obiorah said to get seasoned youthful leadership desired to take the upcoming generation to the climax of development and economic and science growth, the present youths need to be well coached on leadership matters.
He said that new ideology based on computer age requires youths training and re-orientation to create a mind set of service to humanity and not what they can get out of the society for personal enrichment.
“We need to have youth leadership site that is legacy focused, devoid of the present philosophy where people seek leadership for personal gains while the generality of the people are made not to enjoy the basic facilities after tax payment,” he said.
He said that a youth leader is equally considered as an agent of social change as well as a key driver that could produce positive change in the state, villages, and business environment.
“A youth trained for leadership skill would exhibit through strategic thinking, empathy, discipline, humility, and compassion in course of his leadership to achieve a legacy in leadership,” he said.
Obiorah appealed to the Anambra Ministry of Youth Development to engage youths in their development affairs to serve as a ground to groom the youths and exchange ideas between the old and young for optimal growth of the state.
He commended the ministry for its recently-concluded Seminar on “Setting The Right Values for A Livable And Prosperous Anambra State”, and described the move as apt.
Obiorah said that the commissioner for Youths, Mr Patrick Ahamba, has demonstrated that youths are wanted as co-developer through the seminar he lately organised for youth leaders in the state.
He said that community leaders are expected to present youth leaders in their various communities to the ministry for quality partnership with the government to grow economic social and political situations in the state which required strategic thinking.
He said that right-thinking Youth leaders would want to interact with personality across its areas of leadership and exchange ideas in form of peer review mechanism to better self in its approach of leadership.
“Youthful leadership should be goal oriented and well equipped to transform the existing ugly trends in their State such as tax invasion, consumption of illicit drugs and criminalities.
“The leadership should be seen as progressive and in line with great visions and expectations of present governance which anchored in building livable and prosperous Anambra.
“It is very apparent that for Youth Leaders to become the best version of themselves, they must work to imbibe and internalise the core values of Patriotism, Discipline, Integrity, Dignity of labour, Social Justice, Religious Tolerance, and Self-Reliance, among others,” he said .
He urged young leaders to imbibe the right values of life as change agents and as well develop the positive mindset needed to actualise the progressive Visions of current realities.
He said that a youth leader, well trained on leadership success, should think for what he can do for the State and create ideas on how the rural centres would have modern facilities to bridge the quest of traveling to urban centres by youths in the rural areas.
“Creatives minds would assist the government to be seen in all aspects of the state economy and development to reduce crime in the cities as when people flood the cities without vision crime sets in, but develop the rural areas the rush for urban cities will be reduced,” he said.
Obiorah charged young leaders to key towards actualisation of the five development pillars of the present government in the State, which are Law, Order, Peace and Security, Economic Transformation as Nigeria’s next bloc of industrial – Technology and Leisure
He said that Competitive Progressives and Social Agenda (Education, Health, Youth, Women and Vulnerable Groups) Governance, the rule of law and a rebirth of our value system need be upheld.
Obiorah said that aggressive efforts towards environmental threats to ensure clean, green, planned and sustainable cities, communities and Markets across the State, among others. (NAN)
