CYCDI unveils flagship project to empower young Nigerians

In a bid to proffer solutions to the world’s most pressing problems through the application of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI), has officially launched Solution17 flagship project tagged IC2030-Innocreative Youth Hub.

The flagship project is aimed towards promoting education, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, targeting graduates in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, members of NYSC and young graduates between the ages of 18 and 35.

The unveiling, which took place recently in Lagos, is hinged on youth development through education, creativity, and innovation to tackle problems as well as create solutions towards a healthy, livable, prosperous and sustainable planet.

CYCDI founder and CEO, Foluke Michael, said the initiative is to explore creative and innovative capacities of young people through the development of knowledge and attitude that are relevant to skills for entrepreneurship.

“CYCDI has supported the SDGs over the past years through creating development, innovation, and entrepreneurship in children. The goal is to pursue, promote and implement sustainable progress that will boost the community and economic growth. The SDGs is a time bomb, a catalyst to solve all major problems we’re experiencing globally.”

She continues: “CYCDI and consulting partners CITC (Corporate Institutions Training Consult), shares believe that everyone was born to influence and create impacts in different spheres of life, and at such we see entrepreneurship as the aiding platform for individual impact. We see entrepreneurship as a catalyst for job creation, a major instrument for not only Nigeria but also Africa. The aim is to meet the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 through active learning, creative development, innovation and entrepreneurship in children, youth and women.”

In his address, Tayo Orekoya, Managing Consultant, CITC Global Consulting said, “As partners to CYCDI, we aim to demonstrate our commitment to the goal of promoting entrepreneurial spirit among the teenage young population and the fact that our consulting firm is an epitome of youth entrepreneurship drive. The level of poverty globally, particularly in Nigeria is alarming.”

He informed that recent world report indicates that Nigeria has overcome India, to become the poverty capital of the world with about 86.9million Nigerians, almost 45 percent of its over 200 million population now living in abject poverty.

“Our institutions of higher learning turn out hundreds of graduates without the ability for the labour market to absorb them. Ironically, a greater percentage of these graduates have never been opportune to explore entrepreneurship option,” he said

The event, which featured a session with panelists, as well as the special guest of honour, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, discoursed on United Nation SDGs and Global Accelerated Development, highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship as the way forward to development and economic growth of Nigeria.

Prof. Soyinka, who was appreciated by the organisers for his creative assistance to CYCDI towards the development of the Nigerian Child and Youth for ages, was presented with a special recognition award.

The organisers, however, urged corporate organisations, government agency and individuals to support the initiative by becoming sponsors and partners to the IC2030 project.

Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) a UN SDG Action award winner (Innovator Category) was incorporated to promote sustainable development goals towards the achievement of agenda 2030 through active education and creative development, innovation and entrepreneurship in children, youth and women.

The goal of CYCDI is to pursue, promote and implement sustainable projects that will boost community growth whilst curbing corruption, substance abuse, child abuse and any other menace that can undermine national and global development, general health and well-being.