2019: Sanusi, Ooni, Dein, others for Southern, Northern Young Leaders’ Conference *Event to hold in Enugu, Kano

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi Lamido, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Dein of Agbor, Benjamin Ikechukwu would be among those attending the Southern and Northern Young Leaders Conference.

The conference is being convened by the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) to address the need for the inclusion of young people in the Nigeria’s political process and to redefine the future of young people leading to the 2019 general election.

It would also serve as an avenue to reawaken the consciousness of young leaders on how best to make alignments and affiliations that would guarantee a better representation of young people in Nigeria’s political configuration.

Titled: Political and Economic Consciousness, it is believed that the timing of the gathering is very auspicious considering the growing calls from someone like former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for a movement that would bring about a paradigm shift in leadership.

It is scheduled to hold in Southern Nigeria on March 3, 2018, in Enugu and 10th of March in Northern Nigeria in Kano respectively and it would serve as an avenue to deliberate on the non-inclusion of young people in the political process with a view to finding a solution.

A statement by the organisers said the event which would be attended by notable young leaders from different professional backgrounds, would have the presence of student union leaders from all parts of the country.

The statement reads: “The serious need to galvanize the political and socio-economical consciousness of young leaders across the country is long overdue. More so, this has become more imperative given the unfortunate tide of political developments in our collective history as a people.

“One of the cardinal objectives of this both conferences is to primarily create a citadel where young Nigerian Political leaders will converge to intellectually brainstorm, evaluate and affirm their position on the current economic and political realities in Nigeria, with a view to fashioning out strategic plan and commitment.

''Amongst other things, the Southern/Northern Young Leaders Conference would serve as a conglomerate of collective reasoning on the need for every eligible young Nigerian to be registered as a member of a political party to be determined at the end of the conference.

''Furthermore, this conference would ensure that every participant duly acquires his or her Permanent Voters Card (PVC) as the only way to define a roadmap for the Nigerian state ahead of 2019.

On the agenda of the conference which will enhance the collective aspirations of the Nigerian People, with a deliberate intention to bring about political reform in an emerging democracy and how intellectual re-orientation would be explored as an alternative to creating the very much needed platform for good and inclusive governance.

“Participants in this conference would not be limited to young political leaders only. The composition would cut across all young political aspirants, student union leaders from tertiary institutions in Nigeria, young opinion leaders, leading young professionals of industry and other establishments known for youth advocacy.''