DPI Weblog

Last saturday was my last official day as the Executive Director of Development Partnership International. How time flies, it seems like only yesterday, yet I have been holding sway at DPI for three and half years. I am so happy to have been able to work with a dynamic team of young people who are interested in change and to contribute my little quota to youth work in Nigeria. I am particularly proud to have been able to work with former Ms. Onyinye Ndubisi (now Mrs.) DPI co-founder, during this period.

I have been replaced by Ms. Betsy Imabibo. A dynamic young woman who has been DPI’s International Partnerships and Billingual Coordinator since its inception. She is being joined on the management by a team of dynamic and determined youth leaders from various professions. I will be working with Betsy as adviser to the organisation during the course of her term.

I wish Betsy and the rest of the management team all success they deserve.

I am in Port Harcourt for the Rivers State Youth Summit where the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, the distinguished Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, was invited as special guest of honour. Hear what he had to say:

” Even though, media reports always brand the Niger-Delta as a place of negative and criminal activities, I must make bold to say, that while these hold true for a few, many Niger-Delta youth are engaged in positive activities to develop their communities. They must be commended for their outstanding work. When I assumed office in July 2007, one of my first few assignments was to approve the re-nomination of Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima to the Commonwealth Regional Youth Caucus, a youth from this state, who has made this nation proud in various respect. I have worked first hand with Dabesaki during his National Youth Service, and through his work as Nigeria’s representative at the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. I must tell you how proud we are of him and how his work has been of significant benefit to the ministry and the young people of this country by extension. I was very pleased to note that Dabesaki was invited to the African Union Ministers meeting in Ethiopia last February in his personal capacity.”

Please follow the following link for additional documentation: http://www.thecommonwealthclub.co.uk/pages/page.php?id=116

Nkabom is a Youth Leadership Programme run by the Royal Commonwealth Society for young people (18 to 25 years) from across the Commonwealth. This year the programme will be hosted in Cyprus between 13 and 24 September and will explore the topic ‘Conflict and Beyond’ through an exciting programme of workshops, activities, tours, discussions and debates. Participants will engage with local peace-building projects and think about the theme on a global scale, sharing experience of conflict and conflict resolution from their own countries. The programme will also nurture leadership skills, encouraging delegates to become the Commonwealth leaders of tomorrow.

Sound interesting?
Then why not take at look at the Information and Application Pack for further details of the project and how to get involved.

You can apply by completing this application form and sending it to us by email, fax or post.

It must reach us by 15 June 2008.

• Please email your application to claire.anholt@rcsint.org  with the subject header ‘Nkabom Application’

• Or please send it by post to: Nkabom 2008, The Royal Commonwealth Society, 25 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AP. UK

• Or please fax it to: +44 20 7930 9705 and mark ‘For the attention of the Nkabom team’