By  Emmanuel JOSHUA

The need for professionalization of youth work as a panacea for national development was echoed in Lagos Nigeria recently at the just concluded Business Management Consortium (BMC) host commonwealth youth work week.

Youth work week, an initiative of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), was principally aimed, amongst others to emphasing the importance youth work plays in creating an enabling environment for young people. The programme, the first time of its kind in Nigeria was organized by Business Management Consortium BMC, a youth empowerment initiative established to create a platform that develop entrepreneurs and also proffer solutions to some socio-economic problem in the 21st century marketplace in collaboration with other youth organizations across the country.

*L – R: Abayomi Mighty( President,NovoHub);Abiodun Dominic Odunuga (Project Co-Director,BMC);Tayo Opatayo (Head HR,JNC Intnl); Maureen Iyasele( Founder,Jobmag); Omotoola Fawunmi(Lead Consultant,Project Stretch); Steve Araba( Partnership, BMC); Tolu Ojeyinka (HR, BMC); Asenime Gregory( Project Co-Director BMC)

The conference with the theme “Building Skills for Employability”. It commenced with documentaries on social entrepreneurship and its future, the need for professionalization of youth work and also the crucial roles of youth workers in the development of nations.

The programme highlights were the sessions it included, which were: Press Conference, Youth Development and Employability – A Panacea for Economic Transformation, Developing 21st Century Marketplace Skills, Effective Youth Inclusion in National Development, Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Job Creation, and Sustainable Development Structures in the field of Youth work.