By Victor Gotevbe
A few days ago, Saturday Youthful Vibes encountered an emerging young leader and Sustainable Development activist/consultant. What makes his story more enthralling is the fact that Ajiroba Oladipupo is only 24 years old and he is a Special Assistant with the Office of Special Adviser on MDGs to Ogun State Government. It is an attention-grabbing profiling of a young man who wants to make huge impact in governance and his environment.

In the beginning

I have an interesting background with its attendant challenges. I am the last born in my family with two older siblings. I was born in 1987 at Iperu, a town in Ogun State but I spent most of my life in Sagamu town also situated in Ogun State.

I attended Mayflower Schools at Ikenne for both my primary and secondary education. Thereafter, I proceeded to Olabisi Onabanjo University where I studied Botany (Plant Science) and graduated in 2009. I am currently pursuing my Masters degree in Natural Resources Conservation at the University of Lagos.

What was most fascinating about my life was that at an early age, I was able to identify my passion. I knew that I loved nature and would like to take up a career in the field of Natural Science. Although my passion was fueled by the fact that I was born with bronchitis (asthma) and so I was compelled to love and as well protect my immediate environment.

The struggle for life growing up as an asthmatic patient aroused my interest on green issues. I have always believed in a quote by late Ken Saro Wiwa that “…environment is humans first right. Without a safe environment, we can not exist to claim other rights be they social, economic or political”.

I am also ardent about social development. Addressing social issues has been a calling on my life and I am glad to be living that dream.

Career

*Ajiroba Oladipupo

My involvement in Government was facilitated by Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello. She offered me the opportunity to work as her Special Assistant and this offer was subsequently approved by His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Executive Governor of Ogun State.

My experience has been wonderful so far. It is not unusual for people on first catching a glimpse  of me to  doubt my ability to discharge my duties effectively because of my age. However, after my interaction with them, I have always been able to leave behind a new perception that my age is not and will not be a limiting factor to my performance.

Often times, I have been asked by senior colleagues if I am truly 24 years old and to me I find it interesting, and also challenging. After all, General Yakubu Gowon was only 26 years old when he became Military president of Nigeria.

Serving with the Government of Ogun State has given me a new outlook on my career. Such is a feeling you get when you serve under a leader who is altruistic and whom you know was elected by the people and he directly connects with the people, and respects the mandate given to him to deliver.

Personally, it helps to keep my mind to think others first.  I am fortunate working directly under a purposeful leader, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello, the Honorable Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) who listens and operates an open door policy, where ideas are welcomed.

She has always given me the “I can do spirit” and continues to pour her heart and energy on her work. When you work under such a credible leader that delivers timely and operates participatory kind of leadership, then it is very easy to flow along.

Giving back to the Society

Before joining the Government, I was in Ibadan, Oyo State with the Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST), a non-governmental organization working on sustainable development where I served as a Youth Corp member from March 2010 – February 2011.

I was actively engaged with various nonprofit organizations across the length and breadth of the country. I started in June 2010, a not-for-profit and youth for youth initiative called The Environment Advocates/Managers (TEAM).

TEAM has trained several young people on sustainable agriculture issues, climate change, civil education as well as carrying out reforestation activities to buffer against the incidence of deforestation and also to improve the landscape of the city.

We also provided free agriculture extension services to rural farmers to increase their income generation by teaching them Good Agricultural practices (GAP), this was also an attempt to increase environmental and land use management among the rural farmers.

This initiative won me the Chairman’s Award of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Oyo State. I was also a volunteer teacher at Anglican Grammar School at Total Garden in Ibadan, Oyo State. This voluntary teaching initiative was founded by a colleague, Muyiwa Oshatimeyin.

We go into the school from 7am – 8am in the morning providing free classes. The teaching scheme was an attempt to bridge the gap between public and private schools and more importantly to increase the quality of education the students have access to.

We are presently documenting our experience and we will soon come out with the performance at external examinations statistical analysis of the students that benefited from the free teaching initiative and share with government to influence policy on volunteerism targeted at young people.

Making a difference in Governance

Having a well rooted background in nonprofit, my goal is to give governance a new meaning entirely. I have always made accountability and integrity my watchwords and companion. Working in diverse fields as a consultant, peer education, policy campaigner and most especially as a volunteer, I am deploying all my senses to work and to give all my best possible to see my dear State work and develop far above others.

And this will not be difficult because I have worked voluntarily as a development worker in different organizations; a situation where I work without expecting any financial reward and yet I give in my best. So performing under the MDGs office which basically focuses on grassroot development is a blessing and aligns with my passion.

Now being paid to live my passion is a plus for me. I have also put in mechanism to quarterly evaluate my performance and project into the future because as you know in nonprofit sector, we often use time sheet to record our day to day progress and so I am coming with it as evaluation has been my culture.

As a product of Mayflower School Ikenne I have been prepared years ahead of this task. I am a real follower of Late Dr. Tai Solarin and his widow Mrs. Sheila Solarin, where simplicity and passion for service is not joked with. In my job, my task is basically to appraise and design projects targeted at helping Ogun State meet the MDGs targets and so I do not have any business with money. I keep myself busy with technical issues instead.

What inspires me to be accountable also is where I want to be whenever I leave this position. I really do not see myself leaving the nonprofit sector for a long time and my honest desire is to return to that sector. Whatever I do here will determine where next I turn to and so I get conscious of that every day. With God on my side, I know I will triumph because without God, man will not just fail but fail woefully!

Young people in Governance

If young people are given the opportunity, I can boldly say this “Yes we can”. In fact I have the weight on me to deliver since I perceive myself as representatives of young people and whatever I make out of this position, will affect the fate of other young people.  Young people have been seen leading change all over the country. More young Nigerians should be supported and encouraged in their participation in government because more than ever, we are ready to deliver.

Counsel

My message to young people is that they should not stop dreaming. Nevertheless, they should not just dream,also should take active/practical steps toward making the dream a reality. I also will encourage young people to volunteer their energy and time in positive cause(s) they believe in.

Volunteerism is a very good way to get skills that can help in securing dream jobs. There are so many social issues around us today begging for attention. Identify one and help put, the secret in this is that if you are consistent and true to your passion without any selfish motive, one day that passion will lead you to your dream land.

Young Nigerians making the difference

Oboro-owhe is 14 years old and he is a Senior Secondary School 2 SS2) student at James Welch Grammar School, Emevor, Delta State Nigeria. He invented a Ditching Machine. He was able to use the principle of simple hydraulic to power the ‘Ditching machine’.

*Oboro-owhe

Oboro made use of local materials like planks and syringe to construct the ditcher. He was able to do this with the motivation by Babangida Ango Koba , a Youth Corps member who encouraged him to participate in the 2011 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Simplified (STEMS) talent hunts organized in Delta State.

Out of 25 young talented students who participated in the contest he was able to come first based on the import of his project to farm mechanization in Agricultural Science. Oboro-owhe is aspiring of becoming a Mechanical Engineer.