Photo caption: From left, Bankole Williams, Consultant, Career Coach; Hadiza Blell (Di’Ja) Singer & Songwriter; Adeoluwa Enioluwa, a Writer and Public Speaker; Jemima Osunde, Actress, Model, and Presenter; Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth), Comedian and Actor and Ozinna Anumudu, an expert in Fashion and Branding, at the digital seminar organized by Ecobank Nigeria to mark the International Youth Day in Lagos.
Nigerian youths were at the weekend advised to pursue their passion rather than money or immediate gains.
This was the consensus opinion of panelists at the Ecobank Nigeria special advocacy programme with the theme: “Finding your Voice”, a Career, Creativity, and Skills to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day in Lagos.
The panelists include Adeoluwa Enioluwa, a Writer and Public Speaker; Ozinna Anumudu, an expert in Fashion and Branding; Jemima Osunde, Actress, Model and Presenter; Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth), Comedian and Actor; Bankole Williams, Consultant, Career Coach and Hadiza Blell (Di’Ja) Singer & Songwriter.
At the virtual event, each of the panelists shared their life experiences on career choices, creative talents, and skills, as well as individual salient attributes that prepared them for the challenges of life.
Speaking at the occasion, Basketmouth, described Nigerian youths as “quite enterprising,” but urged them “to follow their passion. Do not choose a career to impress anyone, rather let the people validate you.
“If you have an idea, don’t rush at implementation, sit down with it, put down the structures before you make a move.” Further, he counseled the youth that the driving force for choice of career should not be a financial inducement, fame or immediate gains but passion, stressing that it was the clear way to find a voice, achieve focus and desired career goal,” he stressed.
Other speakers, Enioluwa, Anumudu, Osunde, Williams, Blell (Di’Ja), counseled the participants against desperation, urging them to pursue careers they are happy with while being “ready to work hard at it as that is the only way to have your voice heard. They reiterate that there was “no room” for laziness, as bills have no respect for persons.”
Earlier, Head, Direct Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Adetola Oshomah said the digital seminar was part of the bank’s Mobile Xpress (MX) Online Series to give the youths the opportunity to speak, noting that panelists comprising of young people who have excelled in their various careers and professions were carefully selected to share their experiences and challenges before they found their voice.
Mrs. Oshomah added that Ecobank boasts of digital solutions, products, and services that are targeted at creating convenience for the youths, stating that as a bank, Ecobank seeks to empower young people by offering them convenient, affordable, and accessible financial services anytime and anywhere from their mobile phones, which is their primary mode of communication.
