Photo Gallery
Nov 2011 Career Workshop, Abuja
The Vision 2020: Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative held its 13th Annual Career Counseling, Industry Awareness and Youth Empowerment Workshop on the 10th of November, 2011 at the National Centre for Women Development in Abuja.
This year, Vision 2020 partnered with one Platinum Sponsor: Globestar, two Gold sponsors: Addax Petroleum and Chevron, two Silver sponsors: ExxonMobil and MTN and one Bronze sponsor: Cameron Offshore. Shell, Capital Oil, Exxonmobil, Chevron and GE also partnered with Vision 2020 in value adding activities such as the annual Summer Camp at Global International College during the summer retreat and Essay Competitions that encouraged excellence amongst youths. At the event, there were one thousand (1000) students from fifty (50) schools (public and private), one hundred (100) teachers, fifty (50)School Bus drivers, ten (10) Undergraduates, Sixteen (16) Invited Guests and Fourteen (14) members of Nigerian press, thus making approximately one thousand one hundred and ninety (1,190) people in attendance.
The event started at 9:30 am, with the arrival and registration of students and guests. Photographs of schools that arrived early at the venue were taken. After registrations they were ushered into the auditorium and began to watch the Chevron Agbami Project and Vision 2020 documentary.
The main event commenced at 10:30am with welcome pleasantries by the programme moderator Mr. Lanre Esho, this was followed by the introduction of Special Guest to the high table, and the opening prayers delivered by Miss Shade Arokodare, then the National Anthem and Pledge.Dignitiries present:
- Engr. Frank Ibi - Chief Engr. Capacity Building Dept, NCMB
- Miss Latifah Adams - Representative of Vision 2020 Project Consultant, Dr. Ibilola Amao
- Dr Emmanuel Egbogah - Former Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters
- Mrs. Franca Nnaji Thomas - National Programme Coordinator, Junior Achievement of Nigeria
- Mr. Soji Oyawoye - Chief Executive Officer Resource Intermediary
- Dr. J.O Magbadelo - Representative of Minister of Petroleum
Event highlight
The One Day Workshop consisted of different multimedia film shows on various Oil and Gas Projects (Chevron Agbami Project, SPDC Episode 1-8), Globestar 40th anniversaries, Vision 2020 past summer camp excursion to MOSIMI, Vision 2020 documentary and HIV/AIDS Awareness film. There were speeches, goodwill messages by various dignitaries, Sponsor's addresses, Motivational Career Talks', Presentations by Shell Petroleum Development Company representatives; there was a science exhibition and Award ceremony. Educational materials were disseminated to the students. Tea break was observed and lunch was given to all the students present at the event. It can indeed be described as a successful Event
Addresses and Speeches
Welcome Address by Miss Latifah Adams (Vision 2020 Project Manager) on behalf of Dr. Ibilola Amao (Vision 2020 Project Consultant)
In her speech, she welcomed all present and expressed gratitude to God that the Event was taking place again in Abuja for the sixth consecutive year since 2006. She said the "Vision 2020: Youth Empowerment and Restoration Initiative" programme was borne out of a conviction of the Management and Staff of Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultants to fill a gap in the Oil and Gas Industry.
She explained that before Nigeria was colonized, the systems were driven by merit, hard work, diligence, checks and balances in leadership and these formed the traditional core values and these values are the required "software" this nation needs to make her a top twenty country.
She emphasized on the need to adopt new strategies to encourage learning and development, improve literacy, aggressively empower and motivate the best teachers and career counselors, and introduce mind stimulating activities and competitions that would bring out the best in the youths. She said in orer to have a better country, everybody must create time and invest more in societal transformation through the deliberate act of nurturing and developing the youth.
She concluded by saying that the Initiative is designed to identify at least 100,000 successful agents of positive change by the 31st of December 2020, With hope that these game-changers would take Nigeria to its rightful place amongst the Committee of Nations. She called on all stakeholders in "Project Nigeria" to take cognizance of the importance of the active engagement and participation of youths in the socio-economic transformation of this great country Nigeria.
Goodwill Messages and Motivational Talk
Former Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah
He started by commending the initiator of the programme Dr Ibilola Amao and congratulated her on how far she has gone with the programme.
He explained the meaning of vision to the audience; it is a Federal Government project and said that the vision can only be achieved by a collective effort. He told the students that it is very important to capture what they aspire as a vision and outline ways to actualize the vision, because the future of Nigeria is in their hands.
He concluded by advising them to take the messages and all they have learnt from the workshop back to their peers, schools and everyone around them to join hands together to make Nigeria a top twenty country by the year 2020.
Chief Engineer, Capacity Building Department, Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, Engr. Frank Ibi
In his goodwill message, he commended Lonadek for the good work they are doing in the area of youth empowerment. He told the students to work hard and strive to be successful in life. He said though there will be challenges but with focus and determination, they will make it because they are the future of the Nation. He concluded by saying that the students can make it no matter the situation in the country today, since their predecessors were able to make it during their time despite the hardship of then as opposed to now.
The National Programme Coordinator, Junior Achievement, Mrs. Franca Nnanji Thomas
She explained what Junior Achievement is about and how they are working together with Vision 2020 to empower the Nigeria Youths. She said Junior Achievement has been able to empower three hundred and fifty students in Nigeria and they hope to empower One Million youths by the year 2020. She advised the students to be committed, be serious with their study and they should all have the idea that they can implement anything if they want to. She said they should discover their capacity, go for causes that will help them to fashion themselves to do their best at all times.
She concluded by commending the teachers for the work they are doing in the society. She advised the students to hold on and hold out and they should be good at what they do no matter the condition of the country.
Dr. J.O Magbadelo, Representative of the Minister of Petroleum
He said Vision 2020 is not a National programme alone but an individual programme, therefore the youths must join hands together to achieve this National goal. He said the Ministry of Petroleum is committed to youths. He also advised them to go and reorganize their lives and be determined in their hearts to be achievers and agents of positive change, they should concentrate and hold on to all they have heard today because there is what they need to equip themselves for the future.
He concluded by advising them against pre marital sex. He said they should wait patiently until they have achieved their goals because the future of Nigeria rests on their shoulders.
Presentations
Mr. Soji Oyawoye, CEO Resource Intermediaries Delivered a Presentation on "Youth Empowerment, Character and Attitude Development to Create a Better Nigeria"
He started his presentation by saying that the two ingredients for change are attitude and character. He described attitude as the established way of responding to people and situations that we have learned; based on the beliefs and values we hold. Beliefs he said, is how we think things really are, what we think is really true and what we therefore expect as likely consequences that will follow from our behavior. Values are how we have learnt to think things ought to be or people ought to behave, especially in terms of qualities such as honesty, integrity and openness, while character is the complex of mental and ethical traits making a person.
He said attitude is important because it manifests through the behavior and it drives behavior which in turn drives character. He said it is also important because attitude is the first thing people pick up on, in face-to-face communication.
He told the students that attitude is a choice and they can all choose to have a good attitude over a bad one. It is not what happens to a person that counts but how they react to it especially when they have unexpected problems of any kind. Character is also who one is and it defines who you are as an individual.
He concluded by advising the student to have the right attitude and character because that what will make them successful in life
Presentation on HIV/AIDS Awareness
There was a presentation by Dr. Obasohan of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on HIV/AIDS Awareness. The presentation was divided into two sessions which were:- Film shows titled: ‘Catching them young' and ‘Be your brother's keeper'
- A slide show presentation on HIV/AIDS.
"Catching them young": The first film was about a young secondary school girl who was advised by her friends to accept the proposal of her class mate who has been disturbing her for a date. She accepted the date and slept with the boy then got pregnant and she found out he infected her with HIV and ran away. Later she attempted committing suicide because of the stigmatization she was facing at home.
"Be your brother's Keeper": The second film was about an undergraduate student who just gained admission into the higher institution and contracted HIV during his initiation into a secret cult. After discovering his status, he began to spread the disease and later transmitted it to his own brother, at the point when the brother joined the same secret cult after gaining admission into the school.
Slide Show Presentation: Mrs. Bunmi Awopega ran through a slide show on HIV/AIDS and how we can increase our knowledge of the disease, our role, the presented definition, how it can be transmitted and ways of preventing it. After the presentation, questions were asked by the students and they were answered thoroughly by Dr. Austin Obasohan and Mrs Bunmi Awopega.
The students no doubt gained a lot from the presentations and took home the key message from SPDC passed, which was "abstinence from sex is the best"Science Project Exhibition
Winners of the Science Project Exhibition
The winners of the Science Project Exhibition were also given an award after the judges had gone round to examine all the projects. The judges looked out for were the creativity, originality, design, building quality, operation and operability. At the end of the exhibition, the following winners emerged:
1st position: Government Science and Technical College Area 3 Abuja
Project: Power Amplifier
Score: 90/100
2nd position: Great Heights Academy
Project: Water Distiller
Score: 65/100
3rd position: Government Secondary School Garki
Project: Multi System Farm Produce
Score: 60/100
Miss Latifah Adams was on hand to present the award to the winning schools
The judges were:
- Miss. Sotonye Bristol - Total
- Engr. Patrick Oreh - Total
- Mr. Seyi babatunde - Lonadek
