Irish playwright and critic, George Bernard Shaw said that youth is wasted on the young. By this, he meant that young people are generally ignorant of the boundless possibilities that exist at youth. But this is not often true, as the new generation of Nigerian youths is demonstrating, and as the most progressive non-governmental initiatives are celebrating.
The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) has released the long-awaited for its 2021 recipients. This time, as in last year, the list comprises the names of some of the most dynamic and go-ahead youths in Nigeria: those with crowbars for spines, intuitions that almost always hold up in the face of uncertainty, and hearts ready to serve Nigeria and Nigerians with every ounce of strength.
To folks uninformed in this regard, RYLA is a Leadership training initiative that exposes our youths within ages 14- 30 to principles of leadership, selfless community services and good citizenship. It’s Sponsored by Rotarians/Rotary Clubs and facilitated by Citizenship and Leadership Centre Sea School Apapa.
In 2019 under the chairmanship of Abiodun Richard Oshinibosi in District 9110, RYLA Prize of Honour was introduced to identify and celebrate efforts of youths below 40 in various fields of endeavors within our communities.
The RYLA Prize of Honour categories are Technology/Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Education, Fashion, Entertainment, Agriculture, and Selfless Community Service. (Other categories may emerge in due time.) Thus, the recipients of the RYLA Prize of Honour are youths who are Captains of these fields of endeavour nominated by youths and people within the community via a dedicated digital portal
For 2021, Opeyemi Owosho, Abimbola Oyegbami, Abodunrin Oluwaseun Buck, ‘7-star’ comedian Dee-One, Ngozi Osawe, and Ayeni Adeleke received the Prize of Honour for Digital innovation/Technology, Education, Fashion, Entertainment, entrepreneurship, and agriculture, respectively.
These awesome under-40 youths gathered to the banner of Abiodun Oshinibosi, Project Marshal/CEO of Abelinis Ltd and initiator of the RYLA-PoH, and were recognised at the just-concluded closing ceremony of RYLA 2020 held on Sunday 21st of February’s 2021. With the First Lady Of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Adiodun in attendance, the six recipients were given credits for their accomplishments in their various fields by the District Governor Bola Oyebade and PAG Benedict Okhumale who is District RYLA 2020 chairman.
Opeyemi Owosho is the proud initiator of Homefort Energy. Committed to delivering cooking gas energy as a service to low-income households in Africa, Owosho is an alumnus of General Electric Garage, and a recipient of the 2017 Presidential Standing Committee on Innovation and Invention (PSCII).
29-year-old Abimbola Oluwakemi Oyegbami is the founder and proprietor of FeyiGrand Creche and Preparatory School, Abule Egba, Lagos. Actively stretching the borders of education in her community on the elementary front, Oyegbami has obtained the admiration of people within and outside her locality.
Abodunrin Oluwaseun Buck is the Creative Director of Buck, a multi-talented entrepreneur who is colouring the Nigerian fashion industry with indigenous class and style. His fashion outfit (Buck) currently employs over 30 functional staff, and advocates the alter/native blend of cultural fashion.
Dee-One is not a strange name to those who spend even half an hour on the Internet everyday. The happy and handsome comedian is an Arts and Crafts on his own, and his “ComedyNight with D-one” is an outstanding entertainment initiative.
Ngozi Osawe is an all-round beauty-enhancement person: an esthetician, beautician and SPMU Artist. As the CEO of Zeekarh Cosmetics Spa & Beauty Place, she oversees the health and beauty procedures that are highly demand by men and women everywhere, from general services like makeup & skincare, microblading & shading of brows, and lash extensions, to others like body rolling (wood therapy), G5 slimming massage, vajacial Treatment, etc.
Ayeni Adeleke is the CEO of FarmToHomes, the platform that supplies fresh and organic fruits to consumers and retailers in the comfort of their residential or market spaces. FarmToHomes allows its clients to order these fruits from its websites, and this is followed by fast deliveries to desired locations.
And so, the New Year is already modelled after these young paragons, thanks to the recognition of RYLA and its Prize of Honour initiative.