Zaria (Kaduna State)- An NGO, African Network of Adolescent and Young Persons Development (ANAYD), on Monday, urged youths to always imbibe positive values to facilitate societal and national growth.
The founder of the group, Mr Aaron Sunday, made the call at a one-day capacity building workshop on “Life Skills’’ held at Redeem Christian Church of God Life Gate Parish, Graceland, Zaria, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop, with Muslim and Christian youths in attendance, has “A Life of Maximum Impact’’ as its theme.
Sunday observed that positive values were critical to the success of an individual, the society and the country at large, saying “hence the need for future leaders to imbibe such for national growth and development.’’
He said that the NGO, whose activities were beyond Nigeria, saw the need to develop framework that would positively impact on the lives of adolescents in the country toward positive and brighter future.
Enumerating some objectives of the NGO, he said it was aimed at supporting services to adolescents and young people and improve their greater involvement in positive ventures.
He added that the organisation took it upon itself to sensitise youths on means to guard against and to curb the spread of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, among others.
In his paper on “Values Clarification,’’ Mohammed Lawal, a NAN Correspondent, urged youths to exhibit high sense of morality.
According to him, values, ideas, beliefs, principles, standards and good qualities that are important, desirable, and highly priced.
He identified basic human values to include honesty, fairness, respect, self-control, dignity, promise-keeping, equality, trustworthiness and patriotism, among others.
In her paper entitled: “Goal Setting and Decision Making,’’ Mrs Angela Okafor of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), stressed the need for youths to take good decisions.
Okafor said goal setting would only come after a person might have decided on what to do.
Mr Daniel Akpan, founder of an NGO, CLEADA African, spoke on “Mentorship” and advised
youths to search for a mentor in their chosen carriers.
He said “this will enable you to succeed with less difficulty in your chosen fields of endeavour.
“If you want to become a medical doctor, then, find a successful doctor and let him or her be your mentor.
“Whatever field you want to specialise in, there is somebody who excelled in it; don’t hesitate to meet that person and tell him or her that you want to be like them.”
Akpan said mentorship was all about guiding the young ones on how to do things in the right manner instead of doing it blindly. (NAN)
