AUN’s Vice President University Relations (VPUR) , Dr Abubakar Abba Tahir was guest speaker at a public lecture in honor of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello in Abuja.
The lecture organized by the Arewa Youth Council (AYC), was held on Saturday November 21, 2020. The event also witnessed the inauguration of AYC’s national executive committee and an award ceremony to recognize distinguished Nigerians who excelled in various spheres of life.
After speaking on the topic: SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA-THE YOUTH AS AGENTS OF PEACE IN NATION BUILDING, the VPUR received the Platinum Leadership recognition as the Public Servant of the year 2020. A citation, which preceded the award read in part:
“This award is being conferred on you as a result of your undying passion for nation building, support for educational development, youth empowerment, humanitarian services, unwavering belief in the Nigeria project, purposeful leadership and your commitment towards the overall transformation of society for the benefit of country and humanity at large.”
In his speech, the VPUR contended that challenges of insecurity, disunity, poverty and general backwardness of the nation result from the relegation of youth in nation building. He said the youth have either not been adequately educated or not educated entirely, which leaves them barely vulnerable to all forms of social violations.
Dr Tahir explored notions about Nigeria’s unidirectional focus in school curricular towards the search for salaried jobs. He believes this leaves out skill acquisition and entrepreneurship components, which today’s world is badly seeking.
“Today’s digital era, which is daily being refined and perpetually advancing in unimaginable propositions and speed, requires commensurate proactive response by all stakeholders. Without education, poverty will continue to germinate, with illiteracy in high proportions, insecurity will continue to escalate, and without unity we will continue to work at cross purposes, and without the needed skills, our strongest and most strategic layer of society (the youth) will remain perpetually restless. When these foregoing challenges remain unresolved, the path to nation-building will remain rough and tough.” He said.
The VPUR therefore proposed a reordering of the educational curricular to ensure that schools start producing mainly, job creators in all fields, who have the mind frame to think and start-up a broad variety of businesses.
The Arewa Youth Council is a non-profit youth organization with members spread across northern Nigeria. The Council is focused on the region’s accelerated development and socio-political cohesion. The conferral of the platinum leadership award on the Vice-President University Relations is a great honour for the AUN community. In AUN’s characteristic American Style, University Relations is a key division tasked with building recognition for the AUN legacy through strategic and creative communications. Developing meaningful relationships with organizations such as the Arewa Youth Council goes a long way in telling the impressive story of AUN to the world.
By Office of Communications