Ahmed Adamu Gets African Of The Year Award

Abuja, By Bukola Ogunsina

— Mar 20, 2015 7:28 pm  

The first African/Nigerian to be the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), Ahmed Adamu, recently was bestowed with the honourable African of the Year Award. He received this at the African Achievers Awards Annual International Summit, which held at the British House of Parliament. The award was presented on the 13th of this month by HE Harry Hugan of the British Department of International Development.

Adamu at the Summit addressed the topic “Investing in Africa: A key to Sustainable Development”, where he challenged Africans as being responsible for the economic flaw in the continent. The Chairperson equally pointed out the enormous investment and money Africans convey to the western countries.

“We Africans are responsible for the investment gaps in our continent, because most Africans prefer to invest their money in the developed world. We also contribute to the economic development of the Europeans through education, tuition fees, visa fees, flight tickets, money transfer etc, all these are injections to foreign economies and leakages from the African economies,” he indicated.
He also specified that the country’s Agricultural sector is a sustainable and reliable area for African investment, as this would place Africa as the global economic leaders. He also encouraged Africans to patronise African products.

Likewise, Adamu mentioned the corruption plaguing Africa and believes that if corruption is tackled this can lead to the full economic development of the continent. He also pointed out that Africans have the responsibility to expel all corrupt leaders through democratic processes. “We will have to let our conscience guide our democratic decisions devoid of sentiments,” he commented, further adding that the first civilisation started in Africa, and Africa is the hope for global prosperity, as such Africans ought to build and invest in Africa.

CYC Chairman, Ahmed Adamu met and briefed Her Majesty the Queen

As part of the 2015 Commonwealth Day celebration, a reception was organised where Her Majesty the Queen met and discussed issues with young people across the Commonwealth. The Queen welcomed the proposed initiative by the Commonwealth Youth Council to publish a book in commemoration for Commonwealth Young Achievers. She equally commended the work of the CYC in the last one year. Leading the team is the CYC Chairperson, Ahmed Adamu, alongside CYC Vice Chair-Inclusion and engagement, Husni Mohammed, CYC Vice Chair- Policy and Advocacy, Sudharashana Lakshmi, and CYC Vice Chair-Partnerships and Resource, Sadham Zarjahan.

Chairperson of Commonwealth Youth Council, Ahmed Adamu received the Award of African Achiever of the Year at the British House of Parliament.

On Friday, 13th March, 2015 at the British House of Parliament, Mr Ahmed Adamu, the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) was conferred with the prestigious honour as African Achiever of the year. The award was presented during the African Achievers Awards Annual International Summit, which was hosted by Rt. Hon Sir Gerald Kaufman, Member of Parliament for Manchester, Gorton, United Kingdom. The award was also presented by HE Harry Hugan of the British Department of International Development. Mr Adamu spoke at the summit on the topic “Investing in Africa: A key to Sustainable Development”, where he challenged Africans as being responsible for the economic crack in the continent, noting the huge investment and money Africans transport to the western countries. “We, Africans are responsible for the investment gaps in our continent, because most Africans prefer to invest their money in developed world. We also contribute to the economic development of the Europeans through education tuition fees, visa fees, flight tickets, money transfer etc, all these are injections to foreign economies and leakages from the African economies. For example, the money Nigerians spend in UK for tuition fees and upkeep expenses for only one year is enough to upgrade three federal universities in Nigeria to the standard of an Oxford University.” He mentioned that, Agriculture is the formidable and sustainable sector that Africans should harness to place themselves as the global economic leaders. “Some of the leading African economies are largely dependent on the limited and volatile petroleum resources, which cause many of them to face the danger of Dutch disease as it is manifested recently on Nigerian economy. The reliable sector that Africans should invest is the Agricultural sector.” He further blamed Africans for being exenocentrics, perceiving other people’s culture as superior than theirs. “How many of us here wearing African made cloth? You see for every cloth we buy from outside Africa, we are boosting their economy and divesting in ours” Mr Adamu stated. “For us to fully develop our economies, we have to remove corruption, especially corruption among leaders. Masses who are corrupt, they have to be that corrupt innocently and out of no option, because the government failed to provide their basic needs. Corruption at all levels is abomination though, and there is no excuse for being corrupt. However, most of the African leaders are intentionally corrupt, which is why development become relatively impossible. Africans have responsibility to oust all corrupt leaders through democratic processes, and we will have to let our conscience guide our democratic decisions devoid of sentiments.” Mr Ahmed Adamu further explained. “The first civilisation started in Africa, and Africa is the hope for global prosperity. It is only Africans that can build and invest in Africa, no one else. We have to believe in ourselves and build ourselves esteem. We have to stop looking up to others. If not us, who? If not now, when?”, Mr Adamu concluded.

2015 Commonwealth Day Message from Ahmed Adamu, Chairperson of Commonwealth Youth Council

22 Photos of Ahmed Adamu, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council for the campaign of non-violence election in Nigeria

2015: Achieving Zero-election violence-Youth President

Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) is the largest and the most diverse youth led organisation in the world and the official voice of over 1.2 Billion young people from across the 53 commonwealth nations. As elections draws near, the Nigerian-born Chairperson of the Council, Ahmed Adamu speaks to YOUTHVILLE on its programme, Youth Campaign Against Election Violence (YCAEV) and the role of young Nigerians in ensuring peace and achieving a zero-election violence.

What is this youth initiative designed to achieve?

It is a commonwealth initiative to ensure zero-election violence during electioneering process across some elected common wealth countries that were affected by violence in the previous elections. In 2014, we launched the YCAEV campaign in Abuja and we launched the step-down of the campaign in February also in Abuja.

How does it work?

We appointed state marshals. They are working in their states and local government areas, championing this campaign of non-violence in elections. We equally have ambassadors who have voluntarily undertaken to promote peace at every opportunity they have.

They engage in advocacy visits especially to the leaders of different background; religious, political and community leaders. They also engage in rallies to create awareness among others.

How are youths engaged in this violence-free election campaign?

At the launch, youths signed what we call the Youth Peace Accord. We have to sign our own peace accord because most of the violence is perpetuated by the young people.
That is what the Commonwealth has facilitated that the Nigerian young people have agreed that in this year’s election, there will be no violence. In the past elections, young people were killed.

What is the place of YCAEV in the forthcoming elections?

The tension and anxiety with so many security concerns for this year’s election underpins the need to intensify the campaign to promote peace in the country.

What is your evaluation of the challenges faced by youth with the available empowerment programmes?

We have been saying that if you have a ministry of health, you appoint a medical doctor, ministry of women you appoint a woman. Now, we have a ministry of youth, we should have a young person to be the minister who can still interact with his peers. The challenge youth face in Africa is unemployment. There are so many young people out there without jobs, some of them went to school and came out with no jobs. Those of them that did not go to school do not have enough capital or enough turn over when they do. A person who didn't go to school decided to do a mini-business and the business is collapsing because there is no patronage and now if you have this teeming young people coming together, the end result might turn out to be very bad. That is why the government and election is very important in defining and shaping the future of Nigerian young people.

What then would you say to young people?

Young people need to use this opportunity because the politicians, immediately after elections they will not come back to us. They should grab these politicians and make them commit to empowering young people in the country. Nigerian youths should open their eyes so that they will not just follow candidates blindly. They should look at the candidates especially at local and state levels, and they should avoid violence.

... and Government?

I think there is need for a constitutional review to accommodate young people in elected positions particularly at the national level. Young people have the capacity to contribute to national debate especially at the National Assembly but now the constitution is saying you cannot be president or governor until at the age of 40 or so. Even someone who is 39 like a governorship candidate in Niger state is above the definition of what we call youth in Nigeria which is between the age of 18 and 35.