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Pen-ultimate Thursday marked another giant stride towards building a solid future for Nigerian youths. Undeniably, it was a delight to see students enlightened on the opportunities available and skill sets required to function as career professionals and vocationals by applying science and technology. Not only was the message of the abundance of career opportunities in high technology industries vividly articulated, it was another veritable platform to highlight to the Nigerian youth the importance of mathematics, science, engineering and technology in societal transformation and national development. The ‘Vision 2020: Youth empowerment and restoration initiative’ stands out as one unique youth empowerment founded on the pedestal to nurture Nigerian youth as the future leader of the nation. Conceived by the management and staff of Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultants, the initiative involves collaboration with stakeholders in government and private sector to promote science and technology-based professional and vocational development in youths who otherwise may, for lack of proper career guidance and counseling, resort to restive active or delinquency. According to Ibilola Amao, principal consultant of Lonadek and brainchild of the initiative, the programme was borne out of a conviction to fill a gap in industry awareness creation, career counseling and youth empowerment. The programme, which commenced officially in May, 2006, have held since its inception different workshops in Port Harcourt (September 2006); Abuja (November 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009), Lagos (May 2007, 2008 and 2009), in addition to annual essay competitions, excellence award as well as summer retreats. This year’s edition, which was held at the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, attracted over 30 secondary schools within Abuja metropolis, and portrayed another milestone towards refocusing the country’s attention to quality education and human capital development in a holistic manner within the framework of a national development plan. Among the primary objectives include ensuring that Nigeria, through skilled human resource development, can become a top 20 country by the year 2020; employ career counseling and awareness programmes for science and technology courses, so that Nigerian youth can channel their energies into rewarding careers as vocationals, entrepreneurs and professionals as well as increase Nigerian content in the zero-tolerant multi-billion oil and gas industry in which about 15 percent of the income is being earned by Nigerians because of lack of awareness, requisite skills and competencies. As the initiative entered its fourth consecutive year running in Abuja, this year’s event saw resources persons drawn from both the public and private sectors of economy providing necessary roadmaps to career building. For Olatokunbo Somolu, former staff of the NNPC who is also the chairman, board of trustees for Vision 2020, we must recognise that as unemployment continues to grow in our society, poverty level and youth restiveness will continue to rise. Both the rich and the poor, old and young will continue to bear the brunt our actions or inactions in redressing these ills. “One way of redressing the problems is through re-orienting our youths, providing qualitative education and training in core values. Mathematics, science, and technology, being the foundation of every education in this millennium, form part of the core education to be given to our children for which this workshop focuses on”, she said. Urging individuals, bodies and corporate organisations to support the initiative in its quest to reach out to the youths, the engineer-trained Somolu added: “The task before us is immense but it is not difficult to achieve. We need to work even more closely to address our national challenges”. Corroborating Somolu, the managing director of Addax Petroleum Development Limited, who was represented by Bola Akano, general manager, said it was the belief of his company that the future of any organisation, institution or country, is to a considerable extent, influenced by the transfer of core values, training, technology and empowerment of youths. He added that it was for this singular recognition that the company, coupled with its Nigerian content strategy and sustainable development plan that it considered the initiative a cause worthy to support. He urged the students to see the programme as a window of opportunity to prepare the grounds for greater heights of achievement tomorrow, stressing that as a youth, he took a degree course in mechanical engineering both at the first and second degrees. Anita Omoile, chief executive officer of Deep Blue Energy Services Limited, could not conceal the fact that there are societal values associated with excellence and hardwork. For her, the world would not have got to the present stage if people were lazing about and folded their hands waiting for manna to descend from heaven. Anchoring her motivational speeches on career choice, she noted that life is about a choice, while charging the students to base their career choices on ability. “Being able to achieve success in life gives you complete satisfaction. A lot of Nigerians make excuses and condemn the country. For you youths, it does not matter what people say and do, dare to be different”, Omoile explained. For Amao, capturing the essence of the event was very dear and important. However, she felt the burden and responsibility of putting the programme together worth the challenge. “We at Lonadek have committed ourselves to act as agents of positive change”, she enthused. “By partnering with government, private sector, clients and friends to birth a new dawn of youth empowerment and restoration in a systematic manner, I feel fulfilled”. Others who added colour and value to the occasion include Ebikeme Adowei of Chevron, Soji Oyawoye, CEO of Resource Intermediaries Limited, Dapo Adejumo of NNPC, Irene Mcfoy of NIMASA, who represented the director-general, Temi Omatseye, all of whom had different career building tip messages for the students. Sponsors for this year’s edition were Addax, Total, ExxonMobil, MTN Nigeria, which distributed 1200 school bags as well as CESL and Cyro Fuels. The ambience of event venue elicited an air of excitement as students from different schools share the information gained from the film shows, PowerPoint presentations and motivational speeches, among others. Most of the students expressed their gratitude to the event organisers and assured of their willingness to make good use of every advice from the resource persons when planning career paths in future.