The Banji Akintoye-led Yoruba World Congress (YWC) is set to commence a mentorship programme that will guide 300 Yoruba youths towards professional development, designed to enhance their personal and community development.
The six-month programme will link 50 accomplished Yoruba professionals from various sectors and countries across the world to graduates chosen from 10 states across Nigeria.
In his remarks at a programme tagged ‘YWC Launch with the Leader’, to announce the initiative recently, which brought together young people to discuss the role, responsibility and opportunities for young educated professionals in Yorubaland, Chief Tola Adeniyi said graduates are expected to play a leading role in the restoration of the Yoruba nation’s first class grade position.
“Graduates are expected to play a leading role in the areas of education, healthcare delivery provisions, sound and solid economic and fiscal policies, industrial revolution, excellent foreign affairs policies, excellent defence and security for our people and principles of justice, equity and fair play for which our founding fathers were well known.”
A Yoruba global leader and Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye, advised youths to “look around and see what they can do to help themselves and their communities.”
He said there is need for young people to use their skills to forge partnerships that will bring innovation and improvement to ways of doing things.
The Secretary General of YWC, Professor Anthony Kila explained that the mentorship programme will help place young graduates at the centre of educating, empowering and engaging communities towards emancipation and security of lives, property and culture.
“The programme will work to help young graduates progress in the three crucial areas:
employment, setting up ventures and further education. Participants at the YWC graduate mentorship programme will be nominated by YWC affiliated groups, YWC members and leaders from across the world. “