NEYOCA leadership camp grooms 240 youths
By SOLA OGUNDIPE
NO less than 240 young Nigerians ages 7-17 years from various Local Government Areas of Lagos State have benefited from the week-long leadership programme of the New Era Youth Camp, NEYOCA, a unique co-educational, residential facility established on a sprawling 50-acre facility in Ibeju-Lekki area of the state.
President, New Era Foundation, NEF, and originator of the NEYOCA initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, told Health Features in a chat that the leadership programme which is a platform specifically designed to enable youths get nurtured & empowered to achieve their fullest potential, through what is known as experiential education.
“The journey began in 2009. This is a place to grow future leaders who never had opportunityfrom their background. It is a place to show them where to mingle with the rich and the poor,” she observed,” she stated.
Tinubu said the summer camp is designed to provide access and opportunities for young Nigerians to enjoy time away from home in the company of other young people from other cultures in a secure and comfortable setting .
“Most of the children who came were sponsored from the community for a week, Everything here is pointed towards leadership. We emphasise teamwork to enable the children stand on their own feet. and see that Nigeria belongs to them and to know exactly what it means that Nigeriais their future.”
Executive Director and Coordinator of the camp, Mr. Yemi Osilaja said for the duration of the camp participants had ample opportunity to share experience, imbibe team spirit and leadership values, while being mentored by notable leaders in different fields of endeavour.
“All our facilities are geared towards leadership and that is why it is coined the leadership camp. We expect when they go back to school, the participants would stand differently among their peers and the
impact on others will be measured. Those who have come have done some as year one students. At the end of three years each of them is going to write their own history. We want to be able to measure what we are doing here.”
Further, Osilaja said youth camp which is essentially a form of informal education, when fully operational, would enable the children to fully develop their skills. “This set was lucky, as the first fruit of the camp because they had a taste of everything. henceforth, we shall be splitting the skills training. We want many Nigerian children to mix, and we will step outoccasionally bringing in other underprivileged childen.
Next year in the camp we are going to have 15-20 blind students to come and interact, so you’ll get to see an able-bodied children helping those who are blind. We want to see that connnection, so when they become leaders, one would be able to see beyond their own environment.”
