International Youth Day: Stakeholders Urge Youths to Embrace Volunteering for Empowerment and Relevance
Stakeholders have called on Nigerian youths to actively embrace volunteering as a pathway to empowerment, skill development, and societal relevance.
The charge was made on Monday during the 2025 International Youth Day celebration, organised by the Consolidated Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State, under the chairmanship of Mrs. Bose Akintunde.
The event, held at the Iwe-Irohin House in Abeokuta with the theme – Youth empowerment for sustainable future, featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions with young people.
Keynote speaker and convener of The Alternative, Segun Showunmi, urged youths to focus on making the best use of their time rather than dwelling on past generational shortcomings.
“We should pardon the older generation but focus on the time we have left. Volunteer and contribute — that is how you will grow and be relevant,” he said.
Special Guest, Mr. Olamide Lawal, Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Youth, attended alongside the Ogun State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Commander Tijani Rabe.
During the panel discussion, speakers shared personal experiences on how volunteering opened doors for career and leadership opportunities.
Barrister Habeeb Whyte of the Ogun Youth Assembly noted that his journey into leadership began with volunteering in school.
“Nobody can use you — it’s only if you are not ready to use yourself,” he said.
Adesewa Ibirogba of the Nigerian Youth Congress stressed the importance of skill development.
“Your skills won’t drop from heaven. You grow them by learning, and volunteering is the best way to start,” she advised.
Journalist Gift Oba highlighted that volunteering can create opportunities beyond national borders, while Adeyemi Adeleye, organiser of the Ogun Adire Show, encouraged youths to take personal initiative.
“There are a lot of things you have to do yourself. Don’t have the small mind of expecting everything from the government,” he said.
The 2025 International Youth Day event underscored the role of volunteerism in fostering youth empowerment, community development, and self-reliance.
