The Gambian High
Commissioner to Nigeria, Angela Colley, said the youth play a major
role in nation building. The envoy made this known in Ilorin while
presenting a paper entitled “Youths and Nation Building”, during the
second International Student Day held at the University of Ilorin,
Kwara State.
According to her,
“for the youth of today to be effective and efficient leaders of
tomorrow, today’s leaders need to regard the youth as partners in
progress. Without the youth of today, tomorrow is in peril.” She also
added that “the constructive process of engaging all citizens in
building a social unity, economic prosperity and political stability is
the bedrock of nation building. Therefore, the old, the young men,
women, the skilled and the unskilled are all to be recognised in this
process of nation building.” Mrs Colley, however, challenged youth to
contribute positively to nation building. “It is not until when
satellite is sent to the space before meaningful contribution can be
made towards nation building. Students can also contribute to the
development of the countries by doing their assignments properly rather
than ‘cutting’ a publication on the Internet and ‘pasting’ it as their
work.” Being generally honest is a positive contribution to nation
building which student should adopt, she added.
Good conduct
In his remark, the
host and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Is-haq Oloyede said he
is happy with the conduct of the participants. Mr Oloyede who is also
the immediate past president of the Association of African University
(AAU) said: “All international students should present minimum of 20
Nigerian friends each, whom you will host and entertain in the next
edition.” Omolara Folohunsho of the Michael Imodu Institute of Labour
Studies also in Ilorin, said the “University of Ilorin Centre for
International Education (CIE) is a centre which promotes international
peace, harmony and cooperation.” She therefore, urged all to always
hold their values high and stressed the need for international students
to always discharge their responsibility to their host country in a
good manner.
The Acting
Director of the Centre for International Education, Abdulrafii Omotosho
expressed his appreciation to the university for its support. The
occasion witnessed the presentation of gift to the envoy by the
Registrar of the University, Olufunke Oyeyemi.
