By Victor Gotevbe
“If you are walking the right path and you are willing to keep walking, eventually, you will make progress” – Barack Obama

Olalekan,26, is undergoing his master’s degree programme at Coventry University, United Kingdom where he was recently elected as Vice President of the Students Union within months of joining the University. He convened  the Students Association of Nigerians in Diaspora (SAND), a representative platform for Nigerians students abroad.

He has authored two books and currently working on two others. He strongly advocates for youth empowerment, and he joins other passionate young people locally and internationally in their resolve to make the world a better place. Olalekan in this interview with Saturday Youthful Vibes shares his passion for young people, change and New Nigeria, and why he took that passion to the Diaspora.

My humble background

I grew up in the South West region of Nigeria, Sagamu, Ogun State and I spent a good part of my early life over there. I am the last child in a family of six. I  lost my father at a very tender age. Hence, I spent most part of my childhood with my siblings and mother.

*Olalekan Oshunkoya

It was a great experience and I always remember it. I started off my university education with  Industrial Chemistry and then I left in my final year to pursue my passion—Mass Communication—even though it was a tough decision, it was worth it all the way.

Social Enterprise versus business enterprise

In September, 2008, my outstanding involvement in community service and youth leadership activities in Nigeria led to my selection to represent Nigeria in a Commonwealth Youth Leadership Programme (NKABOM 2008) in Cyprus, where 29 young people from about 18 commonwealth countries came together in a leadership development retreat.

This experience changed my life and my career interest. I came back to Nigeria, with a renewed commitment to be more active in Social Development sector as a change maker. Inspired by the experience in Cyprus, I convened the Youth Alliance for Peace and Development Action (YAPDA), a youth organisation that seeks to empower young people on peace education, democracy, leadership development and conflict prevention.

With this organisation, I have been actively involved in youth empowerment and contributed my bit to building a peaceful society. I also started the United Nations Youth Association of Nigeria (UNYAN), a platform for young people to learn more about the works of the UN and g
et empowered as future leaders.

Also in 2008, I authored my first book “Now that you are a Graduate: All you need to know about graduate opportunities’. The book came out of my observation that most Nigerian graduates are not informed about the worth of their degree and the opportunities offered by graduate education.

The book is a self-help collection that offers practical ideas on how to make the best use of graduate education. Following the success of the book, I started a social enterprise—Graduate Employability and Entrepreneurship Centre (GEEC, Nigeria) with some of my colleagues, and we use the organisation as a platform to train graduates with non-academic and requisite practical skills that are needed to succeed in life after school including entrepreneurship and life skills.

My second book was a project for my NYSC community development and was titled ‘So you are Corper: Service year and its opportunities’. My latest book ‘Democracy: A guide for young Nigerians’ is intended to inform Nigerian youths on the need to get involved in all areas of decision making and democracy starting from local communities. It offers practical ideas and tips of ways to ‘be the change, we seek’ and why our voice matter in delivering the Nigerian we desire.

My work in the Diaspora

When I was offered a scholarship to start my masters degree in the UK in 2010, I knew it was time to step up the game of change, this passion led to my leading the mobilisation of Nigerians students here in the UK to form a common representative front to network, share opportunities and contribute to the development of Nigeria hence the birth of SAND.

Through many projects like Conversations for New Nigeria, Nigeria Student Leadership Summit, STAND magazine, Nigeria Graduate Fair, SAND-UK empower and create opportunities for Nigerians students in Diaspora to connect with local youths and deliver the Nigeria we desire.

I have equally been playing a key role representing international students at the National Union of Students (NUS) UK. I am also working on my new book, ‘Going Global: guide for international students on studying in the UK’.  I also co chair the African Students Union UK (ASUUK).

My words for young people

As youths, it is important that we are reminded that that the future of the world we live is in our hands. No doubt, our father’s generations has failed us and we have to act now to make sure we don’t fail our own children. The future begins with us and we are the hope and that hope must be restored from our actions today and every other day.

We have to make the right decisions, our resources of energy, talents and enthusiasm must be channelled into positive engagement that contribute something to our society (however little), we should like to make our world better… daily! “Glory lies in the attempt of reaching ones goals and not in reaching it” Mahatma Gandhi. See you at the top!

YOUNG NIGERIANS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE
OKELOLA OLUMAYOKUN FRANCIS from MINNA, NIGER STATE

‘Mayokun is a prodigy environmentalist. He has participated in series of the prestigious World Bank Institute courses. His interests straddle applied science development in the actualization of the Millennium Development Goal number 7 (Environmental sustainability). He is the focal point of a network of youths advocating the use of renewable energy sources aside fossil fuel energy resources to mitigate Climate Change and other environment problems.

*OKELOLA OLUMAYOKUN FRANCIS

His passion to transfer classroom knowledge in environmental studies into a pragmatic and beneficial project for the University immediate environment and host community birthed his interests in 2008.

In his diplomatic career, He has served at the highest decision making organ of Model UN sessions representing the Japan Ambassador in the Security Council and the South Africa Ambassador in the General Assembly.

He has held many leadership responsibilities including the highly coveted President of the General Assembly of the Model UN sessions where he led the assembly to pass resolutions on the subject of Climate Change as a global concern. He is also the Vice president of the Millennium Development Goals Society of Africa.

A member of the African Youth Forum for Science and Technology (AYFST). He was among the top Global rated 101 Young African Leaders by the African Business Leaders Forum (ABLF) / LEAP Africa in 2007 and was decorated in Accra.

He was nominated for the 2010 UNEP Champion of the Earth Award and Semi –Finalist of The Future Awards for his initiative projects on Climate change. In 2009, he received the LEAP Africa national youth Leadership award. He presently leads a team of researchers on a pilot climate change innovation research for the African Technology Policies Study (ATPS) network.

JAMES ASU from AJEGUNLE, LAGOS

James Asu is an Ajegunle born young change agent who believes in a new Nigeria. He is an optimist who desires to see a world where equality of opportunity abounds for all humanity on the surface of the earth to achieve and become all they are capable of achieving in life. James has been part of various projects/training programmes, symposia and conferences.

*JAMES ASU

James is also a prolific writer who has written over 50 articles published in newsletters, websites and other publications both online and offline on various issues.

He is the president of GLOBAL CHANGERS’ FORUM; an annual gathering of first class individuals, intellectuals and professionals who are poised and passionate to live first class lives through the discovery and delivery of their untapped potentials, unstoppable passions and unlimited purposes in their nations and across the world.

He is an inspirational Gospel singer, a computer engineer by profession,a writer and motivational speaker . He was recently invited and interviewed on LTV8 (LAGOS STATE TELEVISION) in a program popularly known as “OWURO-LAWA” where he spoke to the attentive audience on “PROSPERING BY YOUR POTENTIALS.”