Youths Speak: Odunayo Adeneye

Swoosh!
I am excited!
I’m finally starting up the Youths Speak section under awakening youths on the blog.
Yep, an idea came to me to interview youths who are amazing young people.
The aim of this segment is to let you see that there are still great youths who are doing great things in Nigeria.
I hope to get us to stop whinning and start living forth our potentials wherever we may find ourselves.

 

So I met Odunayo-our guest today on the day we were sworn in in camp.
I started talking to Him and we stood under the hot sun and talked about different things.
From my writings, to his hope for this NYSC year, to obstacles he was faced with in Ekiti(with which I succeeded in encouraging Him that he can excel anywhere, obstacles are nothing)
He took my number but didn’t call me, so when I was to start this stuff in camp, I looked for him eh…till I was told he was ill.

 
Yep, Ayo has lived with the sickle cell anemia disease since he was born but I don’t see that stopping Him anytime soon.
In fact, Ayo eh, let me give you a heads up, you will be one of the speakers at the event at the girls secondary school soon 🙂
So my readers I give you Ayo.

 

 

Let’s meet you bro…

Ayo: I am Adeneye Odunayo.
I am a Computer science graduaduate of Olabisi Onabajo University Ogun state.
I was the immediate past president of Junior Chamber International OOU Chapter(a leadership and enterprise organization)
I have a passion for youth development(training) and integrated marketing communication with focus on branding(personal/corporate)
I like to volunteer with my leisure time and skills and I have volunteered for organizations such as RISENETWORKS, the future awards Africa, LEAP Africa amongst others.
I believe that everyone is created for a purpose and there is ability in every disability especially as I have managed to live with the sickle cell anemia disease for more than two and half decade.
I am currently a serving Corp member in Ekiti state(now Lagos State, he was told to redeploy because of his health)… an incurable optimist and a staunch believer in Nigeria.

 

Me: Swossh! I certainly know a lot about you now.lol.
So do you agree that NYSC is being overhyped and has outlived it’s purpose?

 

Ayo: For me, it’s an emphatic NO!
The National Youth Service Corps was inaugurated due to some insurgency and dis-unity we were facing as a country.
The scheme has broken so many boundaries, allowing inter-tribal, religious and cultural co-existence. So the NYSC scheme is still very much active and important.

 

Me: I certainly believe that NYSC year can be used to achieve something tangible too.
So tell us, have you being inspired in anyway during the orientation at camp?

 

Ayo: I have been inspired by so many factors within my short stay here in camp amongst the 3main objectives of NYSC scheme, reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the battered(image wise, character wise and so on) nation.
Also I have been inspired by the many brilliant, young minds across the country that I have been able to interact and share ideas with.
It shows that there is still hope for Nigeria.

 

Me: Hopefully I’m one of the brilliant minds you spoke to yeah? 🙂
Do you agree that resources are being wasted on Nigerian youths?

 

Ayo: I strongly disagree with that school of thought.
NYSC scheme right from the orientation camp to passing out parade is a full package for the fresh Nigerian youth/graduate to be fully integrated into the society.
Some of our leaders have always said the youths are leaders of tomorrow.
The tomorrow that never comes.
The tomorrow, the future is now!
We the Nigerian youths need to stand up and demand our right.
I believe in the principle that states that “see the need and take the lead”.
As a corper serving my nation, I promise myself to be a young active citizen through my personal(or/and) group community development service, and when I get to my primary assignment, I would carry out a need assessment to see what they need most.
Aside this, I hope to sensitize Nigerian youths on the importance of participating in the forthcoming Nigerian elections, choosing right leaders and not being biased and carried away by some promised infrastructures.
Also, I hope to enlighten young people about sickle cell anemia, the importance of knowing young partners genotype and blood group before marriage.

 

Me: Wow, Great plans Ayo! I hope you’ve started out on these plans, it will be a blessing to youths.
So finally, do you still believe in Nigeria?

 

Ayo: Yes! Naija go better, in fact, e don better.
It begins with you and I, our actions and inaction as young people matters a lot in the development of our nation Nigeria.

 

Thank you for being our guest today Ayo.
May your light continually shine and may your dreams come true!

 

You can reach Ayo via…
Email – Odunanyoadeneye@gmail.com
FB – Adeneye Odunayo
Twitter – @hordunayor

 

P.S – Odunayo’s statement about Nigeria being better by starting with you and I resounds with my recent post that was published yesterday on Bella Naija.
See post by clicking on this link

 
And I hope you are inspired to not just drift along without fufiling your purpose on earth.
Youths like you and I are thinking of ways to impact lives positively both as a Nigerian youth and in the world at large.
Don’t moan and bemoan wherever you are, it’s time to THINK and IMPACT.

Till our next time together on this segment,
Much love,
Frances.

 

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