Lagos APROCON holds 2nd annual youth jamboree, honours Prof. Omoegun
It was a moment of double celebration for Lagos State chapter of the Association of Professional Counsellors in Nigeria (APROCON) as it organised its second annual youth jamboree and honoured its initiator and former chairperson of the association, Professor Mopelola Omoegun, on her retirement.
The jamboree is a social platform for talents and craft exhibition for students of primary and secondary schools in the state initiated by the retiring lecturer.
The annual event with the theme “Maximizing online Creativity towards entrepreneurial development among children and youths: the challenges of 21st century,” was held at the Inner Sports Hall of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka on Tuesday.
According to the chairperson of the association, Dr. Bola Makinde, this year’s theme is aimed at addressing the seeming excesses of children with electronic gadgets and how they can maximise their technological know-how and online creativity towards entrepreneurial development.
Makinde, an associate professor at the University of Lagos, explained that the trend in negative usage of electronic gadgets by children requires urgent pragmatic attention and solution.
She explained that proper monitor and guidance of the children will further discourage them from all form of societal vices and help them to bring out the best in themselves and become self-sufficient.
“The step is at a time, we cannot just jump, we will get tired. For today’s theme, we realised that children are getting fiddled with their handset looking for obnoxious content but if we encourage them to be creative with the handset we could make progress and economically they will learn, is it sewing, cooking, photography drawing. There are lots of things to gain online but we have channel and guide these children because at the age of three or they started (their exposure to telephone) So we have to guide them so that they will benefit and gain and this is why we want to use this opportunity to encourage them to learn and be creative with their online activities.”
In his words, the guest speaker, Professor Olujide Adekeye, the Dean of College of Leadership and Development Studies, Covenant University, emphasised that all stakeholders have a role to play in the continuous education of the children as he stressed that with the appropriate technological application their success is limitless even in the face of the challenges bedevilling the nation.
He explained that as complementary efforts to teachers and counsellors efforts on children, parents have a significant role to play as he urged all parents to live mentor their children.
“The world of work today and business cannot but use technology to survive hence our students must understand how to tap from the online tech revolution to become a successful entrepreneur. Online creativity should be where our younger ones should be tailored to learn creativity to be successful in life. There’s the LinkedIn of this world, we have the Facebook, Instagram you are not to go there for any other thing but to network, learn from other people and be a better person yourself.
“There are infrastructure deficit in the country, no doubt, poor road, low power supply, internet epileptic
Even at that we have to survive, we have to use what we have at our hands presently and survive so it’s good we train the younger ones today on understanding the place of technology, the place of online engagement to maximize their destinies on earth, you can go online and be the best. It’s good to maximise online engagement instead of going there to play game, watch movies but to pick germane skills and build their skills.”
Makinde appealed to the state ministry of education to relieve counsellors of their teaching activity In for full-time counselling activities in order to make up for parents unavailability for their children.
She extolled the virtues of her predecessor, Professor Mopelola Omoegun whom she described as a mother of all with an inspiring personality and humanitarian spirit.
Omoegun was honoured with awards and gift items as she celebrates her 70th birthday and retirement from active service.
The historical event had in attendance the senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the chairman of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) Hon Wahab Alawiye-King who both sent representatives, the National Treasurer of APROCON Professor Adedeji Badejo, representatives from various education districts as well as students of public and private schools in the state.
