2023: Don’t sell your integrity, PIND tells youths

BY KELECHI IRUOMA

The Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) has urged Nigerian youths not to sell their integrity ahead of the 2023 general election.

Tunji Idowu, executive director, said this during a one-day breakfast mentorship programme organised in collaboration with Beyond Regular, a non-governmental organisation, and MTN, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.

Idowu, while speaking with 320 young professionals at the programme, urged the youths not to sell their integrity in the course of their various endeavours, especially as the country is entering a period when new leaders would be elected to public offices.

“The Nigerian youths should not sell their integrity, but every human being that wants to maintain their dignity needs to uphold their integrity. But to the Nigerian youths is to say ‘Hey! Those of us ahead of you have messed things up, and don’t follow their example of going the path of lack of integrity’,” he said.

“Elections are coming. Don’t become tools that are going to be used to worsen an already bad situation. Make sure that you have criteria for due diligence. Even if people come and share money, find a way in which you are doing things according to values.”

Explaining the reason behind the event, Idowu said it is to provide mentorship opportunities for youths.

“The event was organised by Unboxed Conferences to give young people the opportunity of being mentored by seasoned professionals, some of whom would never have access to the organisers on their terms,” Idowu said.

He added that PIND Foundation has the intention to empower 6,000 Niger Delta youths in business and skills acquisitions before the end of the year.

“In the phase one between 2018 and 2021, we trained over 4,355 youths. We are scaling that up with an additional 1,000 youth in various technical vocational skills,” he said.

“So, what I’m saying is, when you count from the three years from 2018 going forward, the additional 1,600, you will have about 6,000 that have been trained, placed, supported to start businesses — not all of them because they have different pathways. Some with work, some will be job owners, some will be business starters.”

In his remarks, Chuks Ofulue, PIND’s advocacy manager, spoke to the attendees on ways they could leverage PIND’s online job and opportunities hub, Niger Delta Link (NDLink), to advance their careers.

Patrick Ekpe, the Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) manager, spoke on on the impact of PIND’s youth empowerment programme in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta states.

On his part, Wale Adenuga, the chief responsibility officer for Unboxed Conferences, expressed excitement over the turnout of the participants and mentors, adding that his conviction to help youths succeed informed the programme.

“We are happy in terms of the turnout. All the mentors are here. The young people are also here, and we think it’s going to be a great learning experience, especially between the mentors and the mentees. They (mentors) have learnt a whole lot of things over their lives, so this opportunity, connecting together is an amazing experience for everyone,” he said.

“I think for me, it’s basically my personal story, probably how I failed in the past. I believe in practical knowledge. I believe in being held by the hand and shown the way, and that’s exactly what this is all about and I will keep doing that until my dying day.”