Ms. Yemisi Ransome-Kuti is a dedicated community leader and advocate for youth empowerment in Nigeria. She is actively involved with Lagos Island Connect (LIC), a volunteer-driven organization focused on bridging gaps in career and entrepreneurship development for young Nigerians. Through strategic partnerships with government agencies, international development partners, and private sector organizations, she champions initiatives that combat youth unemployment and promote local economic development. Her work encompasses business development, advocacy for policy reform, and collaborative efforts to create sustainable solutions for Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Empowering Jobless Youths and Eradicating Poverty
Interviewer: How do you plan to empower jobless youths through your organization, and what specific initiatives have shown promise in Nigeria?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: The main challenges faced by youths in career and entrepreneurship development are access to skills training, equipment, and resources. Lagos Island Connect (LIC) is driven and managed by young, professional, energetic, creative, and patriotic volunteers.
We partner with the State and Local Government, Private Sector, and International Development Partners like GIZ, Netherlands, and Danish Embassy, along with organizations like the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to empower youth through various government and organizational initiatives.
Some of our key programs include the Local Government Economic Summit, Needs Assessment Surveys to identify youth and business challenges on Lagos Island, and promoting the 2km rule – encouraging businesses and MDAs to patronize businesses within 2km of their organizations, which directly impacts and develops the local economy.
We’ve also organized the annual Lagos Island Business Fair (LIBIZFAIR/LIBIZHUB), identified and advocated for Incubation/Innovation/Industrial Hubs for IT, Fashion, and Textile businesses, and successfully upscaled 10-15 businesses from 1 to 10 million naira.
Additionally, we’ve partnered with organizations like the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) for training and funding, supported businesses to participate in the International Trade Fair, and regularly post job opportunities on our WhatsApp groups.
Interviewer: What role can civil society organizations play in supporting government efforts to eradicate poverty, and how can they be more effective?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: Civil society organizations should advocate for adequate provision of security, power supply, and policies that ensure a robust manufacturing, IT, and industrial production sector. They need to partner with government, elected officials, and stakeholders to provide training, equipment, funds, and promote patronage of Nigerian-made goods and services.
They can be more effective by organizing and collaborating with each other to avoid duplication and waste. This synergy will be particularly effective at State and Local Government levels.
We must also engage with women’s groups to prioritize girl child education and women empowerment – women are the gateway to reproduction, and the destiny of the child is often tied to the educational, mental, physical, and spiritual capacity of the mother.
It’s crucial to engage traditional leaders, religious leaders, artists, musicians, and male influencers to collaborate with government on systemic reorientation in responsible parenting, ethics, and values that promote a productive, inclusive, and equitable society.
Interviewer: How can youths be encouraged to shun criminality and instead focus on productive endeavors that benefit society?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: The best way is to lead by example. Role models who demonstrate the right ethics and values should be promoted, while materialism and ostentatious display of wealth must be discouraged.
Law enforcement is critical – once it’s clear that the rule of law applies to everyone, youth will follow suit. We need sustained campaigns to eliminate drugs, cultism, criminality, and anti-social behavior, with proper treatment and rehabilitation of affected individuals.
First-class educational systems, vocational training, and access to well-paying jobs in environments with proper infrastructure – good roads, water, clean environment, healthcare – will inspire young people to live productive lives. This has to be a whole-of-society effort, from the home to the community, workplace, and every level of society.
Primary Healthcare for All
Interviewer: What strategies can be implemented to ensure primary healthcare reaches all Nigerians, particularly pregnant women and babies in rural areas?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: The federal and other levels of government must adequately budget for healthcare. The current Minister of Health, Dr. Pate, appears to be working hard to build on the foundation laid by Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti.
State and Local Governments have to step up and fulfill their constitutional responsibilities at subnational levels. A well-equipped and functional primary healthcare system is essential for national development.
Interviewer: How can community-based initiatives support government efforts to improve healthcare outcomes for vulnerable populations?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: CSOs and citizens should organize effectively to demand proper healthcare services. CSOs, Aid Agencies, Religious Organizations, and other stakeholders can support where necessary. Non-profit organizations have been effective in providing healthcare services but must be monitored to ensure correct standards are maintained.
The private sector can include healthcare in their CSR programs, providing infrastructure, drugs, and equipment. We should develop, refine, and utilize cheaper, effective local solutions and treatments that meet scientific standards – herbal treatments for malaria and bone setters were popular in the past.
Providing potable water, good drainage, and waste disposal facilities will contribute to increased health benefits. Healthy diets and lifestyles should be promoted to enhance preventive care and lessen the burden on the health sector.
Leadership and Governance
Interviewer: What qualities do you believe are essential for leaders in Nigeria, and how can citizens promote good governance?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: Essential leadership qualities include ethics and values, discipline, integrity, dignity and self-respect, respect for others, capacity and proven competence to lead, manage and govern, patriotism, compassion and kindness, humility, courage, and spirituality.
Interviewer: How can Nigerians demand accountability from their leaders and ensure they prioritize the needs of the people?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: Through sustained pressure and advocacy, and demanding accountability frameworks. Budgets must be published, citizens should monitor expenditure, and we should partner with organizations like BudgIT.
We must stop demanding personal benefits from elected officials and focus on the public good. Peaceful protests are the last resort that should be organized if government refuses to listen to citizens they were employed to serve.
Interviewer: What role can civil society organizations play in promoting transparency and good governance in Nigeria?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: Several organizations are already doing this through stakeholder meetings and online forums. BudgIT provides tools to facilitate accountability, transparency, and good governance. SERAP pursues legal avenues to hold government accountable. YIAGA Africa focuses on electoral reform. Organizations like EIE educate citizens on constitutional and governance issues.
Some State Governments, like Lagos State, are creating citizen engagement and feedback systems. Citizens must ultimately understand that it’s their responsibility to hold government accountable for effective service delivery and good governance.
Current Challenges in Nigeria
Interviewer: What are the most pressing issues facing Nigeria today, and how can they be addressed through collaborative efforts between government, civil society, and citizens?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: The most pressing issues are insecurity, power supply, infrastructure, unemployment, and ease of doing business support to the private sector to attract investors and develop robust manufacturing, agricultural, and tech industries.
Government should set an example for prudent resource management – cutting waste, lowering remunerations to reflect the average citizen’s standard of living, and promoting modest lifestyles will reassure citizens that we’re all working together to build the new Nigeria.
Trust should be restored and partnership and collaboration intensified transparently to ensure all hands are on deck. Nigerians must invest in Nigeria by purchasing and patronizing made-in-Nigeria goods and services. We must minimize our love for foreign goods and adopt a Nigeria First policy.
The Diaspora community should organize more effectively to drive investment and development in Nigeria – the Israeli model of collaboration and lobbying the American government to support Israel is a notable example.
The creative and entertainment industry should be harnessed to produce material that inspires and motivates citizens, particularly young people, to embrace reforms in all aspects of our lives.
Interviewer: How can Nigerians work together to build a more equitable and prosperous society for all?
Ms. Ransome-Kuti: We all have to believe in Nigeria and ditch the ethnic, religious, and gender divisions. Through sustained engagement, consensus on critical issues, collaboration, cooperation, holding each other accountable in all spheres of society, selflessness, and commitment by each and every one of us to work together to achieve our collective goal of building the Nigeria of our dreams – a country that our children can be proud of is everyone’s responsibility.
Contact Information
Website: www.lagosislandconnect.org
Email: info@lagosislandconnect.org
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Link: https://linktr.ee/lagosislandco
