On Friday, April 14, 2023, the MIND Initiative, a group of young influencers dedicated to promoting good governance and environmental sustainability, launched the Edo Youth Agenda (EYA) at their Governance Hall in Benin City. This innovative initiative aims to guide the government on youth-related matters and empower young people to become active partners in nation-building.
MIND, standing for ‘Mentoring Individual’s Dream’, operates by bolstering advocacy efforts, civic education, and mentorship with the goal of enhancing transparency, accountability, and environmental stewardship.
At the launch, Dr D. E. Enowoghomwenma, a member of the Board of Trustees, expressed gratitude to the MIND Initiative for devising the agenda. He highlighted that the latest census showed Nigeria’s population to be over 200 million, with more than 40 percent being youth who possess the potential and capability to propel the nation forward.
Dr. Enowoghomwenma stressed that young people ought to be seen as current partners as well as potential leaders in the future. He maintained that young people will not be able to lead effectively in the future if they cannot collaborate well today.
According to him, in order for young people in Nigeria to perform better than the country’s current leaders, they need to actively engage in the formulation of public policy, stand up for their rights, and carry out their civic duties.
“In my opinion, MIND Initiative has made a brave move by articulating the youth’s thoughts in this youth agenda. For the youth, what actions do they want the government to take?” said Dr. Enowoghomwenma during his introductory remarks.
“However, let me say here that coming to this demand is not just a fallacy. Research was carried out, people were interviewed, data was gathered, and from the data gathered a summary was made into five demands for the Edo State youth.
“I want to urge the state government and its agencies, and also the Federal Government, to please listen to the demands of the youth and also use it to articulate policies that will favour the youth and the entire society at large.
“I must say today that one of the issues we are facing is unemployment, insecurity, and that has led today to what we call ‘brain drain’.
“If you’re very much informed, the House of Representatives is trying to make a law limiting our doctors from travelling. Like I told people, is that what they are supposed to do?
“What is the issue? The issue is brain drain. And the people involved in this brain drain are the youth. The youth that are supposed to develop this country, they are leaving. Either in the medical line, the teaching line, banking, mechanical, electrical, just name it. People that we need to develop this society, they are leaving. Hence, this agenda became apt by MIND Initiative.
“And I want to again appeal to the relevant stakeholders to please support this agenda, so that the state government and its relevant agencies will see it, act on it, and ventilate on it. At the end of the day, Edo State will be a place to be,” he said.
The Executive Director of MIND Initiative, Mr Peter Aguebor, while presenting his findings and recommendations as contained in the agenda, pointed out that the Edo Youth Agenda was borne out from a survey that was carried out from January to March 2021, after the September 2020 governorship election in Edo State.
He claims that 360 “Edo Youth Priority Questionnaires” were used in total, distributed at random to 20 respondents from each of the 18 local government areas in Edo State, in order to conduct the study.
Six top priority requests of the Edo young were revealed by the results of the questionnaire, which served as the initiative’s research instrument, he added. These include of health, education, employment, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and security.
According to Mr. Aguebor, the state administration should sign a pledge pledging to execute the youth agenda, since it is the most important item in the Edo Youth Agenda (EYA).
The official presentation of the EYA to Mr. Simeon Osajie, a representative of the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Iyobosa Irughe, a representative of Edo Arise, and Miss Mercy Onyenwelei, a representative of Crusader’s Voice, was the high point of the press conference.
The MIND Initiative was established with the intention of educating Nigerian youth, starting in Edo State, and boosting youth involvement in nation-building through the creation of programs that will guarantee that young people, who make up a sizable portion of the active force in society, are not left behind in the day-to-day management of the affairs of significant state economic sectors.
