Nigerian youths have been urged to embrace mentoring in order to address the societal problems that have led to an increase in social vices in the nation.
This was stated by the convener and president of the Leadership Lighthouse, Pastor Joshua Akinola, during the ‘Next Generation Leadership Conference For Kingdom Harvesters’, stating that “there is a dire need for leaders who will develop the next generation to replace them.”
According to the convener, Nigeria needs leaders who would develop the young people to take over leadership responsibilities in all spheres of life.
Akinola emphasized the urgent need to fix the inconsistencies so that the country could have a pool of youthful leaders to draw from at any time and observed that the lack of such a shift in leadership continued to be a hindrance to the country’s prosperity.
“I have always advocated for the mentorship of the younger ones or next gens as they are called by the elders and leaders in different fields. To prepare our young people for the leadership roles they will soon hold in their respective careers and for the nation in general.
“Nigeria needs leaders that will groom the young ones to take over leadership responsibilities from them as they leave or move to other spheres of life. The absence of such a transition in leadership remained a setback and leaves a big gap.”
He advised youths to do away with the ‘die hard’ approach in trying to get money and riches, and look for mentorship, urging them to “look for mentorship from the older generation. The new gen or youths as they are known these days lack appropriate mentorship and guidance. This platform serves as an avenue to address this issue.
“I want to encourage the younger generation to look for people that believe in you, people that invest in your dreams and goals, people that would bring out the best in you, those people who have the right experiences and advice to guide you to become better.
“This would help you make informed decisions and choices towards your destination in life. Effective youth mentoring has numerous benefits. For me, mentorship is of the most important avenues to address issues with the next-gen.”
The Pastor added that the timing of the conference was significant, coming at a time the world faced increasing challenges that would require people of great skills and knowledge to address, especially among the youths.
He explained the main building blocks for the all-around development of youths as family, politics, science and technology, commerce and industry, sports, entertainment and religion.
According to him, “I believe these are the foundations for building a successful youth. Above all, religion is the most important part, as without it the others will not work.”
On his part, founder and director of Soteria Trust, Rev, Andy Economides, spoke on the need for youths to be close to God and the benefits to derive from such a relationship.
The Christian missionary who spoke on the topic ‘Mandate for the Mountain’, said “At this time, I’ll advise youths to have a close relationship with to get instructions and directions for life.
“God has the plans for everything in this life, and without him, you will be walking a long and lonely path full of struggles and trails that you can’t handle.”
He, therefore, urged the present-day youths to ensure that God is involved in their daily lives.
Furthermore, Christian scholar and Executive Director of the Centre for Biblical Survey and theological seminary, Rev. Akinwande Praise talked about ‘Kingdom keys for possessing the mountains’.
According to the scholar, “there is an urgent for youths to embrace God and learn from him. He holds the key to life and in essence, ways to succeed in this life.
“Looking at many sectors, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world, you will almost never see Christians dominate. Why?, because they need to know that it is no more just about knowing God for yourself, but making sure you become a point of reference and influence in your chosen fields.
“Christians have to look past those old days of being comfortable with average and know that in order to impact lives, they have to be influenced in their professions, and not be mediocre.
“Just imagine, Christians controlling major sectors in the country, everything will definitely work out well.”
With the mission to reach and touch as many lives as possible with the truth of God, Leadership Lighthouse is a non-governmental organization dedicated to developing godly leadership throughout Africa, not just in Nigeria.
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