The Children of Africa Leadership and Values Development Initiative (CALDEV) says it plans to honour young Nigerians who have recorded exceptional feats in their careers with the ‘Young Achievers Awards’ in its upcoming National Children Leadership Conference.
The Founder and President of CALDEV, Mr Bamidele Salam, said this on Monday at a news conference to unveil plans and programmes for the 2023 National Children Leadership Conference in Abuja.
According to him, the conference, with the theme, “Rebuilding Nigeria Through Investment in Children’s Education, Welfare and Security” is scheduled to hold from Nov. 17 to 21 in Abuja.
Salam said that the Young Achievers Award was a flagship component of the conference designed to celebrate teenagers who have recorded excellence in their fields and to inspire others to work hard.
“The National Leadership Conference is a program put together to provide a platform for children between the ages of 12 and 17 from across a diverse section of Nigerian.
“Nigerian teenagers from different parts of the country are expected to converge in Abuja for leadership, training, mentoring, knowledge sharing, capacity building, competitions, networking and collaboration.
“We are not only bringing together children but will give awards to those who have made remarkable impacts in terms of winning global laurels and making Nigeria proud.
“We are bringing together children who have made an impact in the area of technology, innovation, sport, education and other areas.
“Participants for this conference will be children who have shown remarkable leadership capabilities in their schools, in the clubs, and in other platforms.
“We are also looking forward to having a platform where the student will engage with policymakers, lawmakers, ministers and people who occupy various offices,” CALDEV founder said.
According to him, the conference is designed as a deliberate policy to coincide with the 2023 Universal Children’s Day, a UN day to celebrate children and also discuss issues on their welfare.
He said besides the awards, the event will feature leadership training, National Children Dialogue, a visit to key government institutions, talent show competitions and children’s book exhibition, among other areas.
According to him, a crucial segment of the conference will be dedicated to Children’s Financial Literacy to empower them on prudence and accountability in managing both personal and public funds.
“We have discovered that financial literacy is a big issue among Nigerians, and our generation has a lot of imbalance in people planning economic wellbeing.
“We believe that if we can mentor children to be knowledgeable about money, it will be better for us, and there is a bank that is coming to facilitate that session,” he said.
He added that participating children would present a communiqué to policy makers and other relevant stakeholders on issues affecting their wellbeing and future at the end of the conference.
Salam, therefore, urged parents, guardians, corporate bodies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), schools, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders to enroll their children aged between 12-17 years to participate in the programme.
