Future Forward Afterwork Socials- Nigeria 2016

The Future of Work in Africa:

Innovations in Youth Employment


Innovations in Youth

Employment

Future Forward After-Work Socials

Lagos, Nigeria

May 27, 2016

#AfricaYouthFwd @Changemakers @Ashoka Facilitator/Coordinator Topsie Olatilewa Egbetokun – CEO, Business Without Boundaries

(BwB) Website: http://businesswithoutboundaries.net

Tel: +234 8175172160, +234 8138997153

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

http://businesswithoutboundaries.net/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Event Overview Future Forward After-Work Socials was a few hours evening meet-up convening

in regional Africa countries – Lagos, Nigeria, bringing together participants of the

current “Future of Work in Africa” online course.

This program is offered through The Future Forward initiative, a partnership

between Ashoka and the MasterCard Foundation, which identifies and supports

social entrepreneurs and changemakers creating innovative solutions to youth

employment in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative also convenes a wider

community of practitioners, thought leaders and young Africans who help spread

insights and approaches that shift the conversation from problems to solutions.

This is an unstructured, casual networking event, after work, in the evening, for

approximately two - three hours.

Nigeria has the largest number of course participants this year, 55 Nigerians

participated in this year The Future of Work in Africa: Innovations in Youth

Employment online training.

We had 17 Nigerians Ashoka Changemakers in attendance of Future Forward

After-Work Socials.

1. Chukwu Emeka Nelson – Entrepreneur

2. Adegoke Seun Oyeniyi – Enterprise54

3. Bernand O’Bien – Onibata.com

4. Olutokun Emmanuel–Entrepreneur

5. OludareAkinlaja - Education Entrepreneur

6. Henry Akwuebu - Development Consultant

7. Emeka Okwusi - Entrepreneur

8. Joshua Okorie–Entrepreneur/Researcher

9. Olufemi Omotayo - EntrepreNews

10. Alabi Moses - Social Entrepreneur, Youth & Women Mentor, Supply Chain

Professional

11. Femi Iromini - Entrepreneur

12. Rasak Okoya–MotivationalSpeaker/Coach

13. Joy Akapa - Ashoka Anglophone West Africa Staff

14. Josephine Nzerem – Executive Director, Ashoka Anglophone West Africa

15. Ada- Curtis Onyebuchi –Ashoka Anglophone West Africa Staff

16. Ifeyinwa Egwaoje – Ashoka Anglophone West AfricaStaff

17. Topsie E. Olatilewa – CEO, Business Without Boundaries (BwB)



After-Work Socials: Topic of Discussion. Module 1: Youth and Employment in Africa Discussion: What keeps young people stuck between childhood and adulthood? Module 2: Defining Work and Sector Opportunities Discussions: What motivates you to work? Module 3: Skills Training and Education Discussion: What skills are needed to bridge the gap between school and employment? Module 4: Youth Employment Policy and Government Engagement Discussion: How do we translate youth policy to practical action? Module 5: Entrepreneurship and Employment Ecosystems Discussion: How do we grow integrated, collaborative, and holistic ecosystems for youth development?

WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD NOW?

Picture Gallery: http://bit.ly/1XZWWTh



Event Summary

A Big thank you to Josephine Nzerem – Director Director-Human Angle, AshokaAnglopgone

West Africa for volunteering to help co-facilitate the event as I lost my voice the day of the

event.

Module 1: Youth and Employment in Africa Discussion: What keeps young people stuck between childhood and adulthood?

We discussed what keeps young people stuck between childhood and adulthood?“Waithood”.

Waithood represents a period of suspension between childhood and adulthood, in

which young people’s access to adulthood is delayed or denied.While their

chronological age may define them as adults, they have not been able to attain the

social markers of adulthood: earning a living, being independent, establishing

families, providing for their offspring and other relatives, and becoming taxpayers.

Young Africans face serious challenges of social exclusion, joblessness and restricted

futures.

What went wrong? Why are youth still living in limbo? A lot of argument was put forward

such as;

There are no jobs, youth have no career path

There is psychological displacement

No visionary leadership

No career planning, counseling by parents/ guardians

No safety net, so youth are afraid to venture out.

The strategies to fight waithood must be syndicated--- some form of collaboration.

There is no “meeting point” where youths can converge and fight waithood.

Solution: Waithood can be tackled by effective policy formation and implementation by

government, private/public sector and communities.




Module 2: Defining Work and Sector Opportunities

Discussions: What motivates you to work?

Work is activities that generate actual or imputed income, monetary or in kind, formal or

informal.

Participant where asked what motivates them to work and what do they call work?

This was a controversial topic on legal and illegal work. Here are some responses;

- Any activity that generated income (cash)

- Income or identity is a motivation for work

- Money is a motivation for work; however, self-fulfillment comes from making

social impact.

- Productivity motivate work

- There is no motivation without money. However leaving a legacy is what makes

working worthwhile.

- Identity motivate me to work, money is not important.

- Money is the key but identity is the door of opportunity.

- Volunteerism has time limit, you cannot volunteer all your life without making

money




Module 3: Skills Training and Education

Discussion: What skills are needed to bridge the gap between school and employment?

Companies have open positions but complain they can’t find the right candidates. Young

people earn certificates and diplomas but don’t have the real world experiences companies

need.

It is impossible to solve the employment gap without also interrogating educational systems

and skills development.

NUC is a stumbling block

Intervention Programs along the value chain of education

Policy is the best weapon to be used in fighting this problem

There is a big disconnect between graduates in Nigeria and foreign universities

Using practical knowledge to bridge the gap




Module 4: Youth Employment Policy and Government Engagement

Discussion: How do we translate youth policy to practical action?

Government influencing youth employment: Policies, Institutions, Laws, Access to Resources, and

Infrastructure

Youth leaders must get involved with policy making. We must look beyond making impact

to building a viable system that will topple the archaic ones.

Develop how to build collaborative system ecosystem for youth development

Youth leaders must leverage on Ashoka to drive policy change

Discussions must not end on tables, it must translate to action

How to break barriers that can help this ecosystem to be a platform for change

Using vacant space in religious centers for youth development programs

Youth initiatives are not in synergy, that is the reason why social impact is not felt

Re-integrations of skills imparted during training are key. The Niger-Delta avengers are a

case in point.




Module 5: Entrepreneurship and Employment Ecosystems Discussion: How do we grow integrated, collaborative, and holistic ecosystems for

youth development?

The most important concept for driving economic activity is to create value

Young people need help in bringing their business ideas to life.

Education system need to be improved and focus should be on the

entrepreneurship mindset development.

Youth must understand that their power in collaboration – as collaboration beat

competition.




WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD NOW?

Youth are the Leaders of today, not tomorrow. Today create a sense of urgency for

every youth to develop their potentials and step up to leadership roles. There is a need

to help young people hone their skillset, reinvent their toolset and change their

mindset. I believe we, as Africans with passion for our youth can use this platform to

start a great movement domiciled in all African countries represented here, maybe an

NGO, whereby we get successful Africans involved in mentoring and training our

youth in their chosen careers by allowing these young ones opportunity of internships

in their private organizations . We all agree that when two or more NGOs come

together to collaborate on projects and programs, the impact will be enormous.

We need African Based projects by Africans to promote youth employment.

We not need to reinvent the wheel, but leverage on other African countries

strength for our own weakness.

Women involvement must start from the home and every institution

Future Forward After-Work Socials - Lagos, Nigeria

#AfricaYouthFwd @Changemakers @AshokaWA



Some Tweet Feedback About Event.



About Us

Future Forward is a network of changemakers working together with African youth to

champion more effective pathways to

opportunity.www.changemakers.com/futureforward @Changemakers

@AfricaYouthFwd

To support social entrepreneurs who are leading and collaborating with

changemakers, in a team of teams model that addresses the fluidity of a rapidly

evolving society. Ashoka believes that anyone can learn and apply the critical skills of

empathy, team work, leadership and changemaking to be successful in the modern

world

www.ashoka.orgwww.changemakers.com @Ashoka @Changemakers

The MasterCard Foundation works with visionary organizations to provide greater

access to education, skills training and financial services for people living in poverty,

primarily in Africa. www.mastercardfdn.org @MCFoundation.

We provide the leadership to jump-start, reinvent and transform every aspect of

business and human capacity development to unleash great potentials through

Economic/Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development & Innovations.

www.businesswithoutboundaries.net @Bizwboundaries


http://www.changemakers.com/futureforward

http://www.ashoka.org/

http://www.ashoka.org/

http://www.mastercardfdn.org/

http://www.businesswithoutboundaries.net/

Future Forward Afterwork Socials- Nigeria 2016

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Transcript of Future Forward Afterwork Socials- Nigeria 2016