Junior Achievement Nigeria celebrated 20 years of existence on 4th October with a celebration that included a Youth Leadership Conference, an awards luncheon, and a fundraising dinner at the Landmark Centre in Victoria Islands, Lagos.
The theme for the celebration was “20 Years of Impact, Partnering for Growth”. The theme emphasized the need for partnerships that create a bright future for Nigeria with young people being the driving force to reach this goal. For the past 20 years, JA Nigeria has been preparing young Nigerians to succeed in a global economy through financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship education.
In her opening remarks at the Youth Leadership Conference, JA Nigeria Board Chair, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney charged the youth in attendance to pay close attention to and join the discourse.
Keynote speaker and Nigeria’s former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah, congratulated JA Nigeria for attaining 20 years, extolling the organization’s contributions as a leader in youth empowerment. He emphasized the importance of youth empowerment to the development of any nation, particularly in the case of Nigeria. Sharing his experience as a former Minister, he mentioned that the Government cannot do all the development work, however, it can create an enabling environment for organizations like JA Nigeria to thrive. “I believe that unleashing the capability of our people is both a challenge and an opportunity. We have to accept the responsibility and run with it,” he added.
The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion on the topic of “Creating an Agenda for youth and the future of Nigeria.” Panelists discussed leadership, entrepreneurship and capacity building, especially within the context of the digital economy, corporate governance and sustainability. Participants were further engaged in four master classes which covered Basic Branding Strategy for Entrepreneurs sponsored by First Bank of Nigeria, Financial Planning and Financial Independence by Sigma Pensions, Entrepreneurship and Technology in Today’s World by Google and Preparing for the Future of Work by Stanbic IBTC.
At a luncheon proceeding that event, awards were given to various individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to JA Nigeria. The day also acknowledged International Teachers day and teachers of JA programs were recognized for their contributions to the success of the programs.
The celebration concluded with a fundraising dinner.
