The place and contributions of the Nigerian youths in actualising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as innovators and drivers cannot be undermined.
Registrar, University of Lagos, Dr. Folashade Ipaye, made this assertion on Saturday while speaking at the 13th graduation and valedictory ceremony of the Nigerian Tulip International College (NTIC), Ogun State Chapter, which held in Lagos.
According to her, the career choices made by youths have considerable effect on the impact they make in actualising some of the SDGs, which she said were designed with “a moral dimension that demands a great sense of responsibility from leaders and followers.”
Dr. Ipaye told the gathering that youths who have started honing their skills in entrepreneurship by setting up cottage industries were significantly impacting on eradicating poverty and keeping hunger at bay.
She added that those who pursue courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Law and Entertainment were in the best position to support and raise the issues mentioned in the SDGs.
Her words: “By this, you would be contributing in one form or another to at least five of these sustainable goals such as industry, innovation and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production, decent work and economic growth among others.”
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The Registrar noted that youths had the power to act and mobilise others for youth activism which was on the rise worldwide, encouraged by broader connectivity and access to social media.
She urged the graduating students not to miss out on an opportunity to make history as they move on to a higher level of education and another milestone in life, calling them also to take a stand on the positive side of history, be influencers and help attain some of the SDGs.
The 17 point SDGs as proposed by the UN are aimed at ensuring that the current needs of society are met.
