By Abubakar Yunusa
The Kano State Governor, His Excellency, Abba Kabir Yusuf , is expected as a special guest of honor at the 2024 Junior Chamber International Nigeria Northern Conference, hosted by JCI Aso in Kano
JCI is an international youth organization that provides leadership development opportunities for young, enterprising people, empowering them to become agents of positive change.
In Nigeria, all chapters become Local and JCI has chapters in over six states with a membership exceeding 2,000.
The Northern Conference, hosted by JCI Aso, is titled “Lokaci Yayi,” which translates to “the time is now.” It will be held in Kano from August 8th -11th,2024.
Asiwaju Ibrahim, the Conference Director, briefed newsmen in Abuja on Sunday ahead of the conference. He said, “We have involved stakeholders in the development process.”
Ibrahim mentioned that the Kano State Governor is aware of the conference and has pledged his support. If he cannot attend, his Commissioner for Budget and Planning is expected to represent him.
“We’ve also written to the senators representing Kano State to secure sponsorships for members to attend the Leadership Academy,” Ibrahim continued.
“We’re looking beyond a direct connection between leadership and Kano itself.”
Speaking about the economic benefits for the people of Kano and the North as a whole, Ibrahim said, “We’re working with about four hotels for the conference. We’ll be paying them, and these hotels are taxpayers. They’ll eventually contribute back to the state government. The government can then use these funds for youth development.”
He added, “This conference will serve as a tool for integration. For example, the first time I went to Kano was because of a conference like this. I can honestly say that if God answers my prayers and I’ve achieved everything I want to do, I would consider settling down in a place like Kano.This conference is a blessing for the North, especially Kano’s youth.”
JCI Aso President, Ambassador Yetunde Adebisi, explained the reason for choosing Kano: “We noticed that local JCI organizations in Kano are no longer functioning. We believe there’s a need to revive them and bring them back into the spotlight.”
Earlier, JCI Northwest Executive Vice President, Ambassador Bayomi Abdulateef, stated, “Over the past few decades, we’ve built on our core strengths: community development and making a positive impact. That’s why we adopted the unique tagline ‘Lokaci Yayi’ for this year’s conference.
“We don’t need to procrastinate. We need to take action to develop our communities and ourselves. The time is now.”
JCI Nigeria Executive Vice President Northweast – JCIN AMBASSADOR Goodness Morakinyo,said “This year’s theme focuses on achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. We want everyone to benefit from development, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic background.
“The conference will equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and resources to drive positive change in our society.
“We want to prioritize decisions that balance current needs with the well-being of future generations. We also want to foster collaboration and partnerships among communities, Nigerians, and stakeholders,”Morakinyo said.
