Amidst the celebration of this years’ International Youth day (IYD), the Hope for Youth Development Initiative (HYDI), a youth based organisation in Nigeria organised a day mentoring training cum seminar for not less than 200 youths at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Campus.

The event which took place in tune with the special unveiling of the organisation witnessed renowned public speakers and educationist from different spheres in an interactive laden atmosphere.
The theme for this year IYD Celebration – Youth and Mental Health under the slogan “Mental Health Matters” was also emphasised.
Delivering the welcome address was the Visionier of the Initiative, Comrade Ajibike Taofeek Babatunde.

Taofeek explained that the aim of the event was to sensitise the youths, stakeholders and the general public on the need to overcome the mental health stigma, knowing that Youths with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to mental illness after been exposed for a longer period without any help.

‘When the youths are empowered with skills, education and Jobs, the rates of poverty will be reduced likewise level of criminality.
In lieu of the aforementioned reality, HYDI is passionately set to restore hope to the youths and underprivileged’, Taofeek noted.
Spicing up the event was the presentation of a keynote address by the former Rector of LASPOTECH, Mr Ayodeji Babatunde Iginla, His presentation centered around Youth and mental Health : Bridging the Gap for a Sustainable environment.

Taking a step further, Iginla noted that, ‘the economic Situation in Nigeria resulting in youth unemployment and defective infrastructure has generated a lot of stress and hypertension in the youth of the country… The fact remains that only youths with stable mental health can sustain the environment’.

Guest speaker for the event, the Online Editor, The Nation newspaper, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin who speech focused on Youth, Social Media and Online Preference – what the 21st century Youth should know.
Otufodunrin noted that Social media is not just for idle interraction, it is also a viable tool for learning.

He went further to explain that as much as Social media offers everyone the opportunity to be global citizens, quality time should be used on social media as one doesn’t need to be on all social media platforms, thus it should not be taken for fancy.
‘Every youth should note that he or she can be googled… What you do online shouldn’t contradict your personality. Be warned what you do on your social media platform’, Otufodunrin concluded.

Hope For Youth Development Initiative is a non-profit and non-governmental platform envisioned with the responsibility of restoring hope for the youths and underprivileged; empower them in the development of vocational skills and capacity building in order to make them a better leaders for communal and national development by adding value to the growth of the nation as a whole.