The Chairman House of the Representatives Committee on Youth, Honourable Olamijuwon Alao-Akala has called for an urgent constitutional change, saying it is necessary to drive national development.
Alao-Akala made the call during the third edition of the Umèra Boost Conference, tagged, ‘Made for More,’ which was held recently at the International Conference Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State.
He said with the changing times, Nigeria’s Constitution should also be changed to reflect new realities and engender development.
Alao-Akala said: “The current constitution was created in a haste in 1999 by the military, though in good faith. But, as we can see, times are changing; things are changing and so our constitution must spell out those changes. We need a constitution that is solid and can stand the test of time. We don’t hear Americans say they are going for constitutional review; it is just policies that come up from time to time. So, we need to have a strong constitution that in the next 50 or more years will not be altered and keep serving the people but we may need to add policies with time.
“When our constitution was made, it was made by people who had no understanding of such things as technology, so, how will they understand when you are trying to make laws concerning AI or policies concerning renewable energy? If they don’t understand those things, how can they put them in our constitution? We need this now so that we can secure not only our own future but the future of our children as well.
“All these gaps we are seeing in governance today is from the constitution because it allows it. But we need to block all these loopholes so that there will be no lacuna in governance. These loopholes need to be blocked so that things like corruption and the rest will be taken care of by the constitution.”
He also charged the youths to get involved in governance processes, especially at the grassroots level, saying: “Youths should start getting involved in governance. It is not just about the presidency; it starts with you knowing who your local government chairman is, your councilor, how you impact your community, involvement in community meetings, joining in community cleaning other developmental efforts; these are the ways of impacting the community and getting involved in governance. It is not until you go for political meeting or want to contest an election that you get involved. I urge all youths to go to their immediate community and be involved in its governance.”
Speaking on the topic, ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Role of Policies in Empowering Youths and Driving National Growth,’ the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, underscored the place of policies in ensuring youth empowerment.
From his life experience, Ogundoyin said entrepreneurship requires discipline, justice, courage and wisdom.
Ogundoyin said: “It is time for Nigerian policymakers to place youth empowerment at the centre of national development. The focus should be on enhancing entrepreneurial and innovative skills to address the growing issue of youth unemployment.”
The founder, Umèra Group and convener of Umèra, Boost Conference, Olamide Alao-Akala, in her remarks, said the conference is aimed at transforming lives, especially youths and helping them to realise their potential through self-development.
She added that the initiative, which is a follow-up to a three-week skill acquisition programme in September that saw the empowerment of over 600 youths, also aims to equip participants with leadership skills and prepare them for future leadership roles.
She said: “Umera Boost Conference was borne out of a deep sense of responsibility. Growing up, I didn’t fully grasp the importance of living a purpose-driven life. With that awareness now, I want to give back by inspiring young people to discover their purpose and live with intention. Our goal is for every participant to leave with the understanding that they are made for more.”
The conference had an array of speakers and participants including the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akinola Alabi; Honourable Ademola Titilope; Oladeni Timothy; Olanipekun Armstrong; Ronke Giwa-Onafuwa; Dr Oyenike; Aderonke Oluseye; Tope Mark-Odigie and the Chief Operating Officer, Umèra Farms, Yemisi Adepoju.
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