Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping the Nigerian youth with training and developmental initiatives that will facilitate intergenerational succession across the country’s private and public sectors.
Osinbajo made this known on Tuesday at the 2021 Annual Directors’ Conference, with the theme, “Creating the Future: Deepening the Corporate Governance Practice through Multi-Sectoral and Multi-Generational Collaborations”.
The Vice-President, represented by Head of Civil Service, Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan, said many initiatives of the current administration were focused on grooming youths for leadership positions.
Osinbajo noted that the theme of the conference was most commendable, eliciting greater awakening to the inevitability of succession and collaboration.
He noted that available data showed that majority of the workforce population were between ages 20-39 years; consequently creating the need for young ones to be groom on succession and collaboration across all sectors.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it, and this administration has created laudable initiatives such as Build Your Brand, the Next GEN; an intergenerational mentoring and networking program with both initiatives driven by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports.
“We also have the Lead P which serves to identify and train officers within the public service to enhance their leadership potentials and others implemented to build a workforce that can champion economic growth through innovations, etc.
“The Not -Too -Young to Run bill, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari also complements efforts towards facilitating the rise and emergence of the youths to accomplished positions.
“These and many more actions, are aimed at engaging the younger generation to give them exposure to enable them take leadership position and ensure young individuals understand the challenges of each sector’s management and administration.
“Bearing in mind that government cannot accomplish this task alone, we encourage synergy with the private sector for rapid achievement,” he said.
Dr Ije Jidenma, President, IoD,, said the theme underscored the importance of corporate governance practices across private and public sectors of the economy for inclusive economic growth and development.
Jidenma said the conference would focus on the significance of engaging new generation directors, young entrepreneurs and the public sector in the quest to deepen the practice of sound corporate governance, good leadership and best practices.
“The IoD Nigeria Annual Directors’ conference is the Institute’s flagship event, which is attended by captains of industry and directors in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“It is a forum where contemporary issues affecting leadership and corporate governance of Nigeria’s businesses are x-rayed and global best practice solutions provided by professionals and practitioners in corporate administrations.
“As part of the contribution of institute to national development, IoD Nigeria is the aim of deepening sound corporate governance and best business practices in all sectors of the economy.
“There’s need for synergy between private and public sectors to drive sustainable economic development and this conference would discuss and provide solutions to salient issues of benefit to the country,” she said.
Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji AbdulSamad Rabiu, said the conference speaks to the importance of partnership and collaboration across generations and sectors and guarantees a greater survival of businesses.
Rabiu said this was pertinent, with many businesses trying to find their feet after the shocks of global pandemic and its attendant economic impacts.
“It is instructive to note that youths make over 60 per cent of working force and this makes a clear case to bring them on board.
“Their passion is to drive and ability to do more has seen them create industries that were before not existent.
“But there are still gaps in corporate governance and business sustainability and I am of the firm belief that older generation can share ideas to help them succeed.
“We must partner with government and public sector to help shape regulations and policies that would create better business sustainability,” he said.
He commended the institute for carrying through with adding value to members, and the nation at large via its various advocacies and initiatives.
