By James Ogunnaike

United States’ Consul General in Nigeria, Wills Stevens, yesterday, charged Nigerian youths to rise towards evolving solutions that will fix the mirage of challenges militating against the country from attaining the desired heights.

Stevens spoke at the launch of the US government supported ‘Recycling Waste to Wealth Challenge’, an enterprise competition for students in Vocational and Technical Colleges in Ogun State, held at Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, in Abeokuta.

The project is supported through the International Visitors Leadership Programme, IVLP, Alumni Impact Award won by the US government exchange alumnus, Ewajesu Fashina currently working as World Bank representative in the Ogun State Economic and Transformation Project.

Wills highlighted the importance of raising awareness on environmental issues among the youths and charged them to take the lead in providing necessary solution to preserving the environment, part of which is the recycling of plastic wastes to wealth.

He said: “We are talking about our youths; we are talking about giving people a chance to find the time inside them, bring them to the forefront to address the problems of recycling.

“We are looking at funding different projects at the same time, enabling them. Solving a problem and developing capacity is helping people to figure out what they can do on their own by identifying a problem, developing a solution and implementing it. This teaches you the skills which will help you address a lot of problems.

“I hope and feel that you can fix the problems and the problems are big. Is it climate change which leads to flooding? Is it plastics pollution? Is it food insecurity? Is it the backsliding of democracy in the region?

“Nigerians in diaspora in the United States are over half a million Nigerian-Americans; they are the most successful diaspora group in the United States when it comes to income level and education level. They build connections back to Nigeria, they bring investments back, they bring academic connections back and they bring startup companies.

“When we talk about the tech sector in Nigeria, Africa has nine unicorns; a unicorn is a tech company that is worth over $1 Billion. Out of these nine, five are in Nigeria and all the fives are incorporated in United States as well. This means that they built those connections with the US, they have succeeded together.

“And when we talk about whatever that they have succeeded in doing, they are identifying solutions to problems that you face. Companies like Flutterwaves, Andela are Fintech that we talked about are bringing banking to people who are previously not banked; they are bringing financial solutions and fixing the problems you face and the problems you face are the same problems my kids face and I hope and feel that you can be part of that solution.”

Speaking on democracy in Nigeria, Wills said the country is providing a path for other countries in Africa to follow particularly when it comes to sticking to the Constitution and ensuring successful transitions from one democratically elected government to another since over 24 years ago when the country returned to democracy.