One of her primary objectives when she was appointed into office as the Nation's Minister of state for Youth Affairs at the age of 22, making her the world's youngest minister, was to set up youth councils across the seven emirates and on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2016, she achieved that. Her Excellency Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrouei, after reaching the landmark, at a local council in Abu Dhabi, said, "the setting up of the Emirates Youth Council and the affiliated local youth councils is in line with the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who stressed the need for listening to the youth and learn about their ideas and proposals in order to serve them and enhance their skills and empower them to play an effective role in achieving development and transform the UAE into one of the best countries in the world by 2021".
She was reported to have also said at a youth circle event held last month that "Emirati youths are the builders of tomorrow, and makers of the future, capable of carrying the march of progress."
At the celebration of the International Youths day in August, the honorable minister said, "young people in any society are the energy and the main driver of innovation and sustainable development..." O, WHAT A YOUNG LADY WITH DEEP INSIGHT!
However, like one of my favorite Pastors, Pastor Sam Adeyemi said yesterday at the just concluded Excellence in Leadership Conference, "you need to be influenced before you can be an influencer. You need to be inspired before you can be an inspiration"; the young minister is not without such inspiration and influence.
HH Sheikh Mohammed, a leader I so much esteem is one of such influences for the young minister and see what he has to say after the appointment of the minister...
"Without the energy and optimism of youth, societies cannot develop and grow; indeed, such societies are doomed." This were words written in an article by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Emir of Dubai, where he had to respond to the media and people on why the government had appointed a 22-year-old Minister of Youth. He further wrote, "We are proud that the UAE is a young country and we are proud of our youth. We invest in them and empower them precisely because they are our future. We believe that they are faster than us in acquiring and processing knowledge, because they have grown up with tools and techniques that we lacked at their age. We entrust them with driving our country to new levels of growth and development, which is why we have now appointed a cabinet minister of their age and created a special council of youth."
HH Sheikh Mohammed also said, at the launching of the National Agenda for Youths, held last month, that "taking care of the youth is a priority for the government, and the National Agenda for Youth aims to empower them to play a role in developing the country, as well as provide them with opportunities to sharpen their skills and unleash their leadership potential... and making them global role models."
Henry Blackaby said in his book "Spiritual Leadership" which was co-authored by his brother Richard Blackaby that an organization cannot grow beyond the leader's vision. A leader's vision can only be termed influential when it is generational vision, just as it s the Emirates. It is therefore no surprise, that Dubai and the United Arab Emirates is where it is today in less than 50 years of existence. What do you think the nation would look like in the next 5-10 years with the rate at which it is developing?
Like I asked in a post I published in May regarding my country Nigeria, titled "ARE WE SO MUCH LESS VALUABLE TODAY?" - I ask again; What then is our hope as youths when even the Youths minister is over 50 years of age; when a governor in 2013, without any ignominious feeling could publicly voce out to the media: 'we should find a way to retain those who are 60-65 years of age, up to 70 years unless they retire voluntarily '
NIGERIA NEEDS TO SWITCH FOCUS AND UNDERSTAND THE WIND OF CHANGE BLOWING THROUGH HER YOUTHS.
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