Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has charged the youth to imbibe good values in order to be able to build a society based on justice and equity where everyone can succeed irrespective of their background.
The Governor gave this charge to the youths during his presentation of grants to the winners at this year’s Amplifier Business Clinic during the Y2025 International Youth Day Summit organised by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development at the Blue Roof, Ikeja on Friday, 12 September, 2025.
According to Mr Sanwo-Olu, if the youth would be able to take up their leadership position, they must value time, have integrity,dwell on positivity in word and deed, avoid procrastination and take full advantage of all the opportunities and resources made available by the state government for them to succeed in whatever field of life they find themselves.
While promising the youth that the state government would continue to prioritize the issues affecting them as the most valuable assets, the Governor advised them to see themselves as partners in progress.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende,stated that the youths are needed by the state for the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs).
Describing the youth as the heartbeat and strength of the nation, Mr Ogunlende stated that the theme of this year’s International Youth Day, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond” point to the fact that all hands must be on deck from the grassroots if the state would be able to meet the 2030 set for the actualisation of the SDGs.
The keynote speaker at the event, President, Gemstone Leadership Initiative, Mr Fela Durotoye, in his presentation on the topic “From Local Impact to Global Influence: Harnessing Youth Power Actions for the SDGs and Beyond” implored the youths to value time and be willing to accept responsibility at all times.
Mr Durotoye described the youth as the most vibrant and unstoppable force that the state government should galvanise for growth and development.
Talking about becoming leadership,Mr Durotoye said: “for you to become a good leader you must believe in yourself, accept responsibility,commit yourself to action that will solve societal problem,be visionary, be creative and leverage technology.Making impact can begin with little good things in your locality which its influence can be felt on a global level just like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela whose deeds in their various places had global influence.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of an eighteen seaters bus to the Lagos State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)as well as grants by Governor Sanwo-Olu to 86 Voluntary Youth Organisations and 10 winners in the Amplifier Business Clinic in which Kazeem Aminah, the first runner up got N3 million, Shittu Omobolaji Rachael got N2.7 million for second position and Temitope Kareem who came third got N2.5 million.
