Humanity must leverage youth population to recover grounds lost to COVID-19 ― Awolowo-Dosumu

As the world grapples with the disruptive impacts and effects of COVID-19, the youth population has been identified as critical for humanity to recover lost grounds and be back on the path of sustainable growth and development during the post-COVID-19 era.

Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu identified this while delivering the keynote address at the Model United Nations Society Conference of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, held the university’s premises, on Tuesday.

Describing COVID-19 as a war demanding a holistic approach to recover from, Awolowo-Dosumu held that the world, at the end of the pandemic, must consider how to leverage the activist energy, innovativeness of the youth to pull humanity of the “dark hole” of the pandemic.

On specific ways of engaging the youth during the post-pandemic era, she admonished the Nigerian government to look at ways of redirecting youths’ energy and material resources to goals that promote the general well-being of the people.

Furthermore, she stressed that the youth must be made to assume roles of change-makers, innovators of technology of the future, communicators of the world’s development plans and allowed space in the political arena as leaders.

She stressed that the 1.2 billion global youth population is an asset that must be tapped into for rapid recovery from disruptions in the world economy, education, health, infrastructure and virtually all aspects of life.

Awolowo-Dosumu, who had the lecture delivered on her behalf by Editor, Saturday Tribune, Dr Lasisi Olagunju, emphasised the importance of conscious engagement of youths, rigorous community actions to bring about much needed social change, especially during the post-pandemic era.

Speaking further, she disclosed that the pandemic had also put the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in jeopardy with increased investment in health but reduced attention on innovation, climate change and clean water provision.

She, however, stressed that young people had enormous ability to help in the struggle to cover lost grounds and help the world in averting its worst threats and challenges to sustainable development.

Awolowo-Dosumu said: “The World Health Organisation officially declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Since then, the world has continued to grapple with its impact and effect on global wellbeing.

“As of Sunday, May 9, 2021, COVID-19 had, around the world, made 158,355,547 people sick with 3,297,744 dead. The resultant disruption in world economy, education, the health system and virtually all other aspects of life has been enormous.

“It has also put spanners in the works of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. The concern has been raised that while the world fights the pandemic by investing heavily in healthcare and its components, this is being done at the expense of some of the SDGs.

“Think of what has become of education, specifically, in-person teaching and learning in the last one year.

“Think of the wobbling global economy and infrastructure decay in the developing world. Think of the reduced attention on innovation, climate change and clean water provision. What these tell us is that the era after this pandemic will be a period of struggle and battle for the recovery of lost grounds.

“It is a period that will demand the energy of the healthy and the strong. The world, according to the UN, houses 1.2 billion youths accounting for 16 percent of the global population’.

“Where we engage our youths is not for me to decree but I must say that COVID-19 has been a war and recovery from a war demands a holistic approach. The world needs to take a look at how to tap and leverage the boundless activist energy of the youth to pull humanity out of the dark hole of the pandemic and set it back on the path of sustainable growth and development.

“Here in Nigeria, my suggestion is that the end of the pandemic should see us redirecting our youths’ energy and material resources to the goals that promote the general well-being of everyone. We need our youths as change-makers. We need them as innovators of the technology of the future.

“We need them as communicators of the world’s development plans and agenda. Above all, we need them in the political arena as leaders untainted by elite greed and prejudices.”

The conference with the theme: “Redefining Youth Activism in Global Affairs and Sustainable Development in the Post Pandemic Era: UN Agenda 2030” also featured inputs from Vice Chancellor, Lead City University, Professor Kabiru Adeyemo; Attorney General of Oyo State, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo; Head, Politics and International Relations department of the university, Dr Tunde Oseni; staff adviser in the university’s Faculty of Law, Dr Olu Ojedokun and columnist, Dr Festus Adedayo.

In his remarks, the university’s vice chancellor charged youths to mobilise their talents to assume leadership positions, get involved in activities of non-governmental organisations, local politics, seek international peace and security and use the social media to champion against disinformation.

On his part, Oyelowo, represented by the acting state solicitor general, Mrs Folabimpe Segun-Olakojo, charged youths to possess the right attitude, be persistent in their quest to take charge of the political space but also be careful so as not to be usurped in the political space.

Contributing to the panel discussion, Ojedokun decried the docility of the youths charging them to create and maximize every space for engagement and societal development.

In his own contribution, Adedayo prayed youths to realise the power in their hands, enhanced by the availability of Information and Communication Technological tools, to take charge of the political leadership.

Oseni, who moderated the panel discussion, stressed that today’s youths will attain the desired leadership positions and make headway across the world if they acquire the requisite knowledge, skill and attitude.

 

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