 Reflecting an article by Ohimi Amaze, a close look at the history of Nigeria shows how much youth have featured prominently in police school leadership and governance. But in recent times, the story is not exactly the same. Shehu Shagari became a federal legislator at the age of 30 and a minister at the age of 35. Emti Umbu became a minister at the age of 25 and Nigeria's high commissioner to the United Kingdom at the age of 26. Richard Akinjide became minister of education at the age of 32. My tamasu, they became all minister at the age of 29. Aoudu Ogbe was a minister at the age of 35 and he is still serving till today as the minister and the list goes on and on. In contrast, today's reality is a policy where Nigerian youth are used as election consultants, social media battalions and political thugs. So today, we are asking in respect to leadership and governance, how can we change the narrative and catch them young? Please let's hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation, send us an SMS or WhatsApp to 0818 038 4663. Twitter tells us at Weisho Africa one with the hashtag ways show. Leadership and governance, catching them young. Let me start with Enoma actually because I actually wanna hear Enoma's thoughts on this. Enoma, how do you think we can catch them young? How do you think we can begin to encourage the youth now to go into leadership and governance? I think a lot like I would always mention whenever I have the opportunity, I think a very core aspect that we are lacking firstly in is the area of mentorship. I see people from what you were reading, you could see that there were a lot of young people or the people that we see as elders today started young, then they had people that they were looking up to who groomed them and who helped them to find or who trusted them enough to actually assign roles to them that began to give them the exposure that they needed and become the leaders that they are today. But we see a situation in today's narrative where we literally had to have a built past for people for the not too young to... Run. To run a bill. And we keep having issues where people are told, oh, they are too young or it's not your turn and things like that. If we don't give the young people the opportunity to grow and to show off their skills, then really who is going to take the place of the older ones who are probably getting too old to be able to carry the pressure of leadership. So it's a core case, it's a core area for me. The place of mentorship, I can't overemphasize the fact that we need credible leaders who can be emulated by young people who have the strength, the zeal, the tenacity to be able to take the baton from these leaders and take that place in the place of leadership and governance. And until we get that aspect right, I think we will continue to struggle in being able to catch them young. There's so many people who have the capacity but they don't have people who can push them forward and put their weight behind them, helping them to navigate to the political space. Thank you so much, Ullama. Very quickly, let's hear your thoughts. I agree with everything Ullama has said. I think it just sums up everything. But I would also like to add that it's important that we remember that to move forward, sometimes we have to go back in time. We have to remember, we have to remember where we are coming from. And that goes to history. How much history is very important in our schools. When we develop this curiosity in our children, they begin to see that, oh, I can actually aspire to be this. I can be a change leader. I can be an agent of change. So if we take the message back into schools, it really doesn't matter whether it's private or public. Just get it into schools. Using all languages possible. The end point is we want to create a cohesive society. And in order to do that, we need to get the buying of everybody. Thank you so much, Ullama. Very well said. Tonight is actually a very special episode because we have a special guest now. Miss Tonight, I'm just doing something very different from what we would usually do. So Honorable Raphael Ikui Minu is a person of exceptional abilities who, as a teenager, had become an inspiration and built a rich influence base amongst his peers, local, and state governments. He's the former speaker of the Lagos State Children Parliament and executive director of Preacher Child Initiative, an NGO for child rights advocacy as well as child development. He's also a child development advocate and entrepreneurial visionary leader and an up-and-coming policymaker with a perception that as long as he can conceive it, he can achieve it. And tonight in the studio, live with us, we have Honorable Raphael. Good evening. It is a pleasure to have you here with us tonight. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. I mean, see, anytime I see young people doing great, it makes me happy. Like, it just gives me a certain level of joy that I can't even contain. So I'm sorry if I'm all smiles and all that. I'm just really excited to have you in the studio with us today. So what's going on? How are you? I'm very well. Very well, thank you. All right, great. So first things first, let me ask, how did you get to this point? Well, for me, it has been a very interesting journey from secondary school, you know, representing my school in various inter-school competitions, like the debate and the spelling bees and all of that. And then it gave me an edge and I got nominated into the Lagos State Children's Parliament and eventually I got elected as the speaker of the parliament and our tenure ran from 2016 through 2017 and through 2020. So it was an amazing time. It exposed me to leadership, policy-making, governance. And yeah, it was a mix of exposure, learning and building my capacity as a young person. Yeah. So did you experience any, I'll call it, talking down at you to say, oh, you young boy, what do you know? What's, you don't understand? I'm going for a pass. I sure had experiences like that, but thankfully I come from a family where my surface team has been built already. I have the understanding of who I am and what I am made of. That childhood of identity and self-esteem helped me to navigate through whatever backlashes or whatever negative or derogatory statements that I got along the process. So in essence, the role of parenting and not the over-emphasized. Yeah, I like that you brought that in as well. So that people actually understand that, look, you always have to encourage these people to be whatever, to achieve their full potential. Because if you show the child down, trust me, you're covering that child's likes in the Bushel, which you shouldn't really do. It's very wrong parenting. Okay, so Majola. I'm just... I'm just looking at him. You're perplexed. I'm just looking at him. And first of all, well done. Thank you very much. I mean, I look at you and I'm seeing a man speaking from a place of confidence. And a man who truly sees beyond what's, unfortunately, even us. Let me pardon me using the word adults. You know, we tend to see all the negatives. But you, I mean, you're looking at leadership from a totally different eye. And you're, okay, so my question to you is, do you really think there's a future? I mean, from your exposure, your experience, some of the things you've had to navigate, do you look at Nigeria and say, oh, but there's potential. We've not even done anything. We can do so much more. Or do you think it's a lost cause? Well, I think there is a future for Nigeria. And it is evident in the kind of youth participation that we have today in politics. We can refer to the just concluded general elections. We see a lot of young people coming out. I could make reference to the lady, Rukia Shitu, who emerged as a member of the State Assembly of Kora State and among many others like that. And this is as a result of the not too young to run that was passed into law in 2018 by the president, Muhammad Uighuri, as well as the prevalence of social media. So I think a lot of young people are becoming more aware of the political space. However, I think it is important to note, as young people, that the political space is changing from politicking to competence. I see it as a future in Nigeria where we have medical practitioners, professionals in their fields, taking up political positions. And imagine having an education is becoming the commissioner or minister of education having a medical practitioner becoming minister of health. So all of that is what the political space is becoming. And young people need to be very much aware. So the best way to go into politics, to prepare for politics, is by becoming a thought leader in your profession. Wow, that's profound. Do you understand? It's profound. So you can tell that he's very, very political, literate, and sound. So he knows what it is that he's doing. See, these are the things that's what we need. Well, I mean, I would also, I would love for us to continue this conversation. I mean, I can't wait to hear what Norma also has to say. But then let's take a short break and then when we come back, we'll continue the conversation. Thank you for staying with us. It's been an interesting conversation so far with Honorable Raffael in the studio with us today. He is a person of exceptional abilities, who is very well-grounded, I must say, in the political space as well. OK, Norma, please go ahead. I know you have a bit of a burning to say some things. I loved his perspective about putting square pegs in square holes. And something that caught my attention is on his profile where it said that he is a policymaker with a perception that as long as he can conceive the thing he can achieve it. It's a quote by Napoleon Hill that I really, really resonate with. So immediately I saw that I said, OK, this is one to definitely watch out for. So in line with that, Raffael, what is your inspiration? I mean, behind becoming involved in youth leadership and governance, what was that thing that inspired you to navigate the space and to also be involved in child development and advocacy? OK, thank you very much for this question. So regarding child advocacy, I grew up in an environment where child abuse and jivellite delinquency is prevalent. And growing up in that kind of environment and being exposed to those things, I knew it wasn't what I wanted. I knew there was more to children or childhood than all of these things. You see children hooking in the streets instead of being in school, learning. You see children evolving in all sorts of social vices like drug abuse, stealing, and the rest of them. Teenage pregnancy now, it's now in norm. It's no longer 18 of shame. So having the idea that these things are wrong and it should be corrected. And it's a fundamental issue of mindset and perception. You know, we are somewhat limited to our exposure to our environment. So it takes going out there and seeing what is obtainable, what is right, and then bringing it back into this community, into these societies where the relevant exposure to children is not being given. So that is what breathed the idea, the vision behind Preacher Child Initiative. And that is all we have been doing for the past couple of years now. And for my drive as a young leader looking forward to participating in politics, in governance, I've come to realize that leadership isn't necessarily about being in a position but about leading yourself. I think we need to come to the point where we realize and recognize that it is the person that leads and not necessarily the position. So when we have the realization, we focus on building our character. You know, a person has to be judged not by the reputation or the office that they hold, but by the quality of their personality and the content of their character. And I think as young people, we need to start paying attention to this part of our lives because that is what defines us. That is what determines our values and our principles as we go on. So leadership has to shift from positional to personality to character. And that has been my call. That has been the call of what I do in the process of my journey because the end goal is to become an exemplary leader that young people like myself can emulate and see and want to learn. Because we have a lot of things in the society today that are impacting young people negatively. Social media now, we live in a society where results are celebrated without necessarily exposing the process. So we now celebrate results beyond the process. I think we need to, because the media is also one of the things that shape culture in our society today. And it's very important that we start to now expose young people to the process, to timing, to learning. I have the understanding that three things are necessary to stand the test of time, to become a sustainable leader, is sustainable to sustain the success that we are striving towards and I've come to recognize them as KEN. Now the first is knowledge. Of course we have to build knowledge in order to increase the things that we know because out of it flows the issues of life basically and then we also have to, which takes us to the next one, which is the E, which I regard to as experience and exposure. And this has to do with the things that we do with the knowledge that we've acquired. It's not okay to, it's not enough to just acquire knowledge but do something with the knowledge that you have. That is where competence is built and as well increase your exposure, go out there, see how better it can be done and implement it to your personal lives. And then the third is the N, which stands for network. Network has to do with the people that have access to you and the people you have access to, who know you for what you do. And I think if we pay attention to these three things, I think every young person will grow into becoming that thought leader that they want to be in their respective fields and not as opposed to just wanting to blow and just make it. And it is not sustainable. These are the things that makes it sustainable. So that is what has been my call. Those are the things that I stand by and that I want with. Okay, interesting. I mean... See how I don't, we're blown away. Like... Okay. I mean, on a river raffle, I'm just like, I hope people are listening as I mean, you're speaking with so much knowledge, so much conviction, so much... It means that the process for you, I mean, you're walking the talk. I mean, it's evident. I mean, from everything that you have said that you understand what process is. And I particularly like that message, you know. This thing you just said about young people understanding the role of process as against results. Yes. Again, we celebrate too much of results without understanding that results that is not sustainable comes back to, literally, it destroys things, you know. So process, process, that's the key thing that I'm taking from you today, that the process is so important if we're leaning towards sustainability. Well, so now there's something very interesting that has happened. On a river raffle here has gotten an admission into the prestigious, I think, the African Leadership University, right, in Kigali, Rwanda, and he got this admission in June 2022. And he has had to defer a couple of times, right, due to lack of funds, right. So now on the show, we want to see how we can assist him because we can see that this is somebody who's full of potential and who just needs some form of head start, you know, to kick this up and become a better person and help him achieve what it is that he is definitely capable of achieving. And then in this life, we're calling for support for Raphael's dream. He needs to raise $13,000 to support his education. Like I said earlier, he got admission into the prestigious African Leadership University in Kigali to study entrepreneurial leadership. And he was already awarded a substantial scholarship by the institution due to his exceptional abilities. But then he also needs to come up with some money, you know, to be able to further his education. And on the screen, we have an account, we have the account details where you can send your donations to. You could also, there's also a GoFundMe account where you can also support him through that link. So please, would actually like to call on the support of our viewers. I mean, you've heard him speak, you've heard him talk about the things that he's really passionate about. You can tell that he's very passionate about leadership and governance. And on the show here, we're all about the young minds, right? And so we are really supporting this young mind who is here with us tonight. And hence that's why we're calling to help get Raphael to ALU. And we definitely believe that your viewers have the capacity and you would help him achieve this long dream of his. Okay, so let's come back to leadership and governance now Raphael. So I would like to ask, I understand that you've held certain leadership roles in the past and right now you're also currently running an NGO. What are the challenges that you think young people face and how do you think they can overcome these challenges? Okay, the first of many is the limitation, the mindset that you're too young to start. It's obvious that we live in a society that shuns young people rising and shining. We need to differentiate the place of process and the place of starting because the process in the starting, we need to learn to support young people and not look down on the little things that they do because it's those little things that eventually become the big things, the big names that we know today that we celebrate. They all started somewhere, they all started from the little things. So these similar things built up to become bigger things. That is one challenge that we face as young people, having support from people that have gone ahead of us. And then the second is the will, power to sustain the energy with which we started. This one is a personal one that comes from us as young people. And it's sort of questions are why? Why are we doing this in the first place? Why do we decide to do this, follow this path or whatever cause that we're taking? At every point in time, I think that it is necessary to question our why because the why gives us the energy to sustain the drive. So yeah, that's pretty much some of the challenges that we face. So I mean, what we're talking about how we can encourage the young people to actually go into governance and leadership in Nigeria. That's why I actually asked that question. So how do you think, you talked about supports. You said, okay, the older generation should endeavor to support the younger ones, right? To help groom them. So like Norma rightly said at the beginning of the show mentorship, right? So they need some level of mentoring. So these people, I remember when we talked about the doctor's brain drain, living in Nigeria and whatnot. This was a very big deal. The medical practitioners mentioned that they don't get enough support from the older ones, their senior colleagues. And you were mentioning the same thing which just shows that clearly there's truly a divide, right? But there's a gap that we need to fill. So first things first, supports. And we hear you on that one, Tiola. Okay, so my question would be that do you think that some young people are actually ready? I mean, yes, I know the election, that just happened. There's a lot of young participation and all that. But again, sometimes we like to ride on waves, you know. Do you really think that young people, I mean, considering the fact that we just spoke about the society honoring a lot of results rather than process. So do you think that young people are truly interested in the process, are truly about what I want to get my head in the game, I want to push on, even if the results are not in the immediate? Do you really think that, I mean, this is something that if we take this campaign around, it will get the buying of a lot of young people? I think young people are ready. Not because of, I think as much as we have the things we see on social media that young people do, I feel there are still younger people in the environment that are actually doing the work, that are actually putting in the work. But the bulk of the perception based on media visibility and all, we tend to generalize that young people are just out there to just get it quick without following the process. I feel a lot of young persons are ready and we're actually seeing it now with the level of involvement in different spaces. The future is now, young people are actually coming out to take over industries, taking over ministries, taking over territories. So as much as we have young people who still need to learn to understand the process, there are actually other young persons that are putting in the work and I hope it will grow. So we're ready. We're ready. Very well done. Okay, if you're just tuning in, we're discussing leadership and governance, catching them young with Honorable Raphael Iquimu who recently got an admission into the prestigious African leadership university in Kigali and needs our support to achieve his dreams. If you'd like to donate the details that have been displayed for you to do so, please let us hear what you have to say. Remember, you can join the conversation. Send us an SMS or WhatsApp to 08-180-384663. You could also tweet at us, at Ways Show Africa one with the hashtag Ways Show. Okay, Nomad, do you have any other questions for our guests tonight? Yes, I do have. So I wanted to ask Raphael. I mean, he's had quite a bit of exposure and experience in leadership and governance as a young person which is something that a lot of young people want to find themselves in. So I wanted to find out from Raphael that what has been the most rewarding part of being exposed young and being able to be involved in governance and leadership. What has been the most rewarding part for you? Well, for me, the most rewarding part of it all is the ability to first see yourself beyond the ordinary, having a sense of responsibility for your peers. I, of course, there are other pecs that comes with it, the test of leadership being exposed to certain kind of people and places, but beyond that, it builds, it's a mindset shift from the ordinary. It starts from making the decision to be different, set apart, excellent in all things, not being conformed to the limitations and flaws of your environment. So all of that, the biggest value, the biggest value for me through the process is the mindset shifts and it is priceless. It is really, really priceless. I cherish it and I do not take it for granted. So Raphael, just to add to that question, what advice do you have for young people who are considering becoming youth leaders? But you know, come from similar backgrounds. I mean, I read part of your profile that said you grew up in Achecule. And you came out with this amazing mindset. You were able to rise beyond the challenges of the environment that you grew up in. So what advice would you give somebody who is aspiring to also be like you? Okay, I think we cannot talk about leadership in any scale without mentioning the smallest unit of it, which is the family. Like I said earlier, the role of parenting and the family cannot be over-emphasized in the proper upbringing of children. For young persons out there who are wanting to become leaders, the only way to say it's got your heart with all diligence or out of it flows the issues of life. I think the very first thing to work on is the mindset. And how do you do that? By gaining the right exposure, selectively choose the things that you're exposed to because today in our society, there are so many distractions. There are so many things that can derail you from your path. After identifying the path you want to go through, what you want to do, your purpose, your passion, the next thing is to selectively see the things that comes into your space, that comes into your mind because everything that comes out is first the product of the minds. So I think the first thing is to work on the mindset. Understand that you're not ordinary, you're different and be deliberate about growing. Be deliberate about following the process. Of course, let us not give into delayed gratification. Of course, the rewards might not come in immediately but when we are consistent and persistent at what we want, I mean, it is almost inevitable that the end of it will be very much better than the beginning. Thank you so much Rafa. I like what you have said about the unit of family and the role that the family actually has to play. I also think it's also a thing of an individual as well because there are a whole lot of young people out there these days who are really lazy and don't want to put in the work, you know? So they just feel like, okay, these things should just come without putting in any work, you know? We should just, I should have everything that I want or that I desire at the tip of my fingers, right? Without putting any work into it. And which is why we have him on the show today because we know that this is someone who is actually putting in the effort and doing as much as it is that he can, you know, to be able to become a better person and then to achieve his goals as well. Yeah. So Rafa, I would just like you to say your last words, right? For the viewers, the young people, what words of encouragement would you possibly give them? Ah, well, I'll tell you what I always tell myself and that is to be focused, be focused. Ah, we live in a time where there are a lot of distractions, be focused. Identify what you want to do and stay at it. Stay at it, stay at it. Because it's not, it's seemingly not working out, now doesn't mean it's not going to work out eventually. So stay at it and be focused. Get every knowledge, every experience and every network that you need along the line, along the journey, but be focused. It's easier to go on a straight line than going in circles or in waves. Stay on one path and be focused and you will eventually get there. That's actually a very bright, bright advice. Because the truth is that the way young people do this actually, there are a lot of distractions, truth be told. Left, right and center, there are different things that can make you derail from whatever path it is that you're going on. But then like he has rightly said, and this is probably his well-kept secrets that he's sharing with us today. And he said, first things first, be focused. Don't give up. Sometimes you might experience, and don't let whatever situation, in terms of what box it is that you're in at the time, pull you down. We've heard where it is that he grew up, we've heard where he's come out from, but he's not allowed that to deter him. He's not allowed that to keep him back from experiencing, living, getting the things that he would actually want to get out of life. So yeah, I really do admire you, admire your courage, admire your strength as well. I mean, pulling up, but talk it to you, I'm calling you on the river after you, call the wind. So I must say, very well done, Rafael. Very, very well done. Jola, any last words? Oh yes. Well, anywhere we find ourselves, we must lend a helping hand. We must support each other. Nation building is everybody's business. There's no, or there's a particular group of people or we must all come together. So if mentoring, if you identify someone around you with potential, and you have the opportunity to mentor such a person, please by all means, mentor, but don't stifle, because that's another thing that is very popular. We mentor, but we cage people, we don't want them to get bigger than, so let us mentor, let us do well by the people around us. And together, I'm sure that we'll walk towards the great nation that we all want. No more any last words? Wow, I mean, this has been just awesome, just amazing. I think the one thing I would just say or reiterate from all we've said is that being deliberate about growing is very key. I mean, both the young and the old, the old must be deliberate about mentorship. The young must be deliberate about growing, about expanding, about being all that they can be. And together, I believe that Nigeria can become the desirable place that it was meant to be. Thank you so much, Noma. Before we go, do ensure you follow us on Instagram at WeishuaAfrica, you can interact with us. Father, drop a comment, and most importantly, follow all our social media engagements. Remember to like, share, comment, and invite your friends and family to watch and follow us. If you missed this quote here, it is again. It doesn't matter when we start, it doesn't matter where we start. All that matters is that we start, and this is by Simon Sinek. Thank you so much, and it was a pleasure having you in the studio today. Thank you, ladies. Today, Monday, tonic. All right, so see you tomorrow at 8 p.m. and bring another great conversation to your screen. Good night.