At a time when employment is on the high and a lot of the nation’s youth are disillusioned as to what to do with their life or how they contribute to the development of the country largely because of the lack of requisite skills one organisation that has risen up to help and equip the youth to make an impact in the country is the UK based Development Impact for Nigeria.
The organization set up by a UK based Nigerian professional Yomi Oloko ten years ago in January as part of its Diaspora Volunteering Scheme (DVS) brought together six UK based Nigeria professionals for a Short term volunteering opportunity.
For the duration of the volunteering service they were involve in capacity building, training and organisational development coaching and mentoring. The aim of the training is to empower young Nigerians with basic skills needed to develop themselves and the society.
The volunteering programme which will take place in three batches has in the this first phase the well known Nigerian Pan African Human Rights activist and filmmaker Toyin Agbetu who was famous for refusing to apologise to the whites during a Westminster Abbey church service held to recognize the 200th anniversary of the abolition of Great Britain's involvement in the slave trade with Queen Elizabeth II in attendance in 2007.
Agbetu who is the founder of Ligali, an African British organisation set up to campaign for human rights and cultural, socio-economic and political justice on behalf of the African community during an interview alongside Yomi Oloko at the nation newspaper’s office said that he does not see nothing wrong with the young people of Nigeria but the government who has failed the people. “When I see young Nigerians, I see potentials, I see intelligent people, I see the future,” he said.
The pan Africanist who is known for challenging the misrepresentation of African people and culture in the British media and advocates self determination and equality within the African British community explained that one of the reason for the volunteer programme is to empower the young people to have a voice, to help them have their own employment than looking after someone else’s job.
As a filmmaker, he trained the youths on basic communication skills needed for development such as filmmaking, embarking on investigating stories, writing and so on. He stated that at the end of the training they are expected to publish a newspaper to show how they can use the media to make a change. The young people are also been trained to train others.
He said one of the reason why he decided to join DIFN to volunteer was because he is proud to be a Nigerian and need to contribute to the development of the country. “I am happy to be an African, I want to give back to Mama Africa, my job is to equip young people with entrepreneur skills in Nigeria, and to share what I have with them,”
Agbetu who will be returning back to the UK on February 14 said that he would like to see young people do something with what they have been taught. “I am educating young Nigerians that are ready to learn, that are ready to achieve something and contribute to the development of the nation” he said.
One of the major projects of DIFN is Ipaja Community Link (ICL) established in 2002 and situated in Ipaja, Lagos State. Ipaja Community Link aims to be a holistic community based organisation which can be replicated in any part of Nigeria on request.
The ICL’s main focus of work is job Creation, life skills training, ICT skills and basic craft skills training and Business development support to all trainees and other members of the local community.
On his part, Yomi Oloko explained that the next phase of the volunteer service will come up in June when another set of UK based Nigerians will come around to help. “Our long term aim is to create a bridge between people of Nigeria heritage in the United Kingdom with Nigerians living in Nigeria to help develop the country through these basic areas education, community development, and youth development,” he said.
One project of the organisation that has been on for many years is the Ipaja Community link where it works with women, youth. “We have a programme on the ground; the ICL’s project is for training and empowering women, youth and community workers.
DVS placements will mainly be in the areas of: Teacher Training; Community Development; Social Work [especially Child Protection]; Youth Enterprise Development; Local Government Development and Community Health Education / Mental Health Education.
Diaspora volunteers go out either as groups or individually and are primarily involved in essential capacity building training and organisational development coaching and mentoring working with Nigeria based professionals to reverse the Brain Drain by contributing to Brain Gain.
Other programmes of the organisations in the coming years include Organising development awareness workshops and events targeting the Nigerian community living in the UK and other interested individuals and groups. Focusing on discussing and funding Nigeria focused Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] and other related development / social policy issues.
Project 17/25 offers global youth work placements in Nigeria to young people between the ages of 17 to 25 years. DIFN is especially keen to engage with young people of Nigerian heritage and young people from the African Caribbean and Black British communities and Flexible opportunities for university students from across the UK to undergo a field trip in Nigeria relating to their field of university study.

A cleric Reverend Innocent Ugochukwu has urged Nigerians to brace up for another round of disasters and tragedies in years to come stating with 2010 which he said we paved way for the change that God is about to bring to Nigeria.
Rev. Ugochukwu made this declaration at a press briefing in Lagos where he revealed some of the things God told him about His plans for Nigeria. He said God has laid it clearly on his heart and has instructed him to pass the message across to the people. ‘God has His own divine agenda for the country, any moments from now there are things that will be happening that will bring about God’s plan for the nation” he said.
He said some plane crashes will occur just as it happened in 2005 and many well know personalities and politicians will be involve in such crashes anytime from now. “A lot of tragic event such as plane crashes will occur we should pray for God’s guidance as we go out, we must let people know about what is going to happen” he said.
Recounting some of his old prophecies which has come to pass, he talked about his prophecy before the Presidential Election in 2007 which was contained in a book published in February 2007 titled ‘The plan of God’ that President Yar’Adua was not approve by God and would not see through 2010 as Nigeria President as he was foisted on the people. He further explained that President Yar’Adua does not have the divine approval to sit over the affairs of Nigeria and will not lead the nation through 2010 as his continuous presiding over the affairs of the nation will amount to gross misconduct which were contained in one of his release in 2008.
He talked about the shame that will come upon the former president Ibrahim Babangida and many others.
Speaking further he said that the coming change will mark a pathway to national transformation for Nigeria. “It will transform the practice of several professions in our land”.
The transformation he said will brought about by a man who though he said God has not reveal to him will bring about the implementation of God’s plan in Nigeria. “God has made his mind clearly known as regards the characteristics of the vessel He purposed to use to effect this change. A man chosen by God and not by the people”
Describing the man he said he would be a “man not familiar with the seat of power. A man in whom kingdom mentality has been molded and stamped. Only by his hand and the men and women prepared and ordained to work with him, will this change be entrenched in every sphere of our national life” he said.
On who really this man is Rev Ugochukwu said that God has not specifically mentioned anybody and he does not know who and were the man is but said that there will be a crisis in the nation before his appearance.
“The world through divine plan is looking up to Africa specifically Nigeria for the next move of God on earth” he said. He later urges Nigerians to draw close to God for consolation and guidance

For most part of the afternoon on Tuesday, commuters and offices in Victoria Island, Lagos and environs witnessed the presence of hundreds of Nigerians when a peace rally organized by a human rights activist group the Global Peace Movement International to celebrate the Nigerian who invented the world only energy anti-corrosive paint Prof. Dr. Rev. Clement Uwemdimo in an attempt to create a good image for Nigeria.
The rally was described as a means of celebrating this Nigeria and not a protest has some would termed it. Horses, motorcyclist operator, commercial vehicle operators, students and other interest groups were present at the rally to celebrate the man.
Speaking at the rally that lasted for over three hours the President General of the group Dr. Mike Uyi said that the rally is a way of rebranding Nigeria by celebrating a Nigeria inventor of the world anti-corrosive paint which all the oil companies in the world are using now.
“If we have a Nigerian that wanted to throw bomb, then we have a Nigerian that invented what the whole world is using. We should leave the negativity and celebrate the positivism, we want to use this man to rebrand Nigeria to let the world know that we are intelligent people, we are not terrorist by any nature and won’t support it in any way” he said.
He said that the United State of America was misguided in palcing Nigeria on its terrorist list which he said is wrong. The battle for the patent right for the World Energy Anti-corrosive paint by the Akwa Ibom born Dr. Clement Uwemdimo has been on for the past twenty years and was finally won in November 2009 which he said is worth celebrating
“we are using the name of a Nigerian inventor to celebrate the victory of an invention that was invented by a Nigerian used by all oil companies in the world for off shore and on shore production. He has become the only patent holder for that invention,” Dr. Uyi stressed.
He said Nigeria has nothing to do with attempted terrorist act claiming that it was rather negligence on the part of the Americans “it was the failure in the America security system as well as the European system that allowed him to board the airplane from London, he was never oriented here, we need this celebration to showcase to the world that awe believe in hardworking, invention we don’t believe in destruction or anarchy,” he said.
However, Dr. Mike later said that the Nigeria people need to tender an unreserved apology to the United State Government as whether we like it or not “Abdul Mutallalab is a Nigerian, we cannot denied that, that is why we have to apologise to the United States of America” he said.
He berate the Nigerian government for been unserious with issues affecting it nationals, “the government of this country has to be serious, people who graduate have to get work, we need to move from where we are. Nigeria is in a round about and we won’t allow that, everybody is challenge to do that. We are proud of our nation and we not allow anybody to rubbish our nation.”
The first point of call for the peace rally which took off from the open space of Bar beach groynx in Victoria Island accompanied by policemen was the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) office where the station management was implored to celebrate Nigeria always before moving to the embassy of the United State of America, Germany and terminated at the British Embassy.

When Mr. Moses Kolawole Badejo left his house at 19, New Road, Atila, Agbado, Ogun State on November 20 to collect the refund of the money paid to a furniture maker, Tunde Adebayo to make a bed for his child, little did he know that that day will be his last on mother earth as he was brutally butchered by a friend of the furniture maker, Tobi Ogunleye regarded by many as a professional butcher.
The 26-year old father of three was said to have gone to the furniture maker, Adebayo, to demand for the refund of N7, 000 he paid him to construct a bed for his new baby which he reneged on since March 2009. Tunde was said to have given Kola N2, 000 and has since refused to pay up despite the deceased’s repeated pleas for the rest of the money.
At the furniture maker shop an argument ensued between the two men, Kola therefore decided to report at the police station but was pacified by sympathizers but unfortunately Adebayo’s wife had called Ogunleye, a friend to the late Badejo to come and intervene. When Ogunleye who is regarded as a terror and feared in the neighborhood, came, instead of resolving the matter amicably decided to deal with the deceased by stabbing him severally. Ogunleye was said to have stabbed Kola severally from his stomach, leg to the heart which led to his death.
Narrating how the episode happened, the wife of the deceased Mrs. Idowu Badejo said that her husband was working on electrical appliances at home when he decided to go and demand for his money from the furniture maker, “…later I heard some noise outside and when I got outside, I saw Tobi Ogunleye with a long knife which he used to stabbed my husband in the chest, stomach and ribs while my husband was running both Ogunleye and Tunde Adebayo were pursuing him until he fell he lost a lot of blood ”, she recounted the ugly incidence as she broke down in tears. “Now Tobi and Adebayo had turned me into a widow at 22 years”
Another eye witness account revealed that Kola and Tobi were not in good terms which might be the reason why he took such a dastard action, he was also said to have stabbed someone to death in his former residence in Mushin from where he absconded to Agbado.
Mr. Kunle Kareem who lives in the same building with the deceased said he was surprised that a fellow man could kill his fellow human being like that “I helped them to carry the butchered body of Kola to the hospital, it is a pity that his heart was punctured as the doctor said ,” Kareem lamented
Also, Kola was said to have been rushed to Winners Clinic and Maternity Home at Ifelodun Street, Agbado where the doctor immediately tried to revive him but unfortunately due to excessive bleeding and blood lost , he gave up the ghost barely five minutes after he as brought in.
The doctor explained that the knife used to stab the deceased penetrated so deep into the heart and there was no way he could have made it.
Now, the police have arrested the furniture maker, Tunde Adebayo, the killer, Tobi Ogunleye and his wife for the death of Kolawole. According to a family head who also stands as the father of the deceased, Mr. Joseph Ademisoye Badejo the death of Kola is a rude shock to the entire family. He described Kola as someone that has a friendly disposition; respectful and very lively who respects everyone he comes across.
The immediate younger brother of the deceased, Ajibade Badejo said that Kola was a very quiet boy; he described his death as a painful one. “My mother had six children for my father, now we are two that are left behind, four had died,” he lamented as he wept uncontrollably
The Investigative Police Officer(IPO), Agbado Divisional Police station said the case would be transfer to the Elewe-eran police station, Ogun state for further investigation .

IN the 18th and 19th century, missionary work used to be characterised by comfortable life in Western countries such as England and other parts of Europe. Then, to heed to the call was considered a revered service. Until things were reverted to missionaries having to serve in the jungles of Africa, and many losing their lives to various diseases or hostilities of the villagers, missionary calls was desirable.
Today, the tide is changing. Now, once you become a missionary, it is almost at your own peril because the supports that used to come from missionary societies such as Christ Missionary Society (CMS), Baptist and Methodist organisations are no longer sufficient to cater for the survival of the scores of missionaries spread across the continent. Yet, it was to the credit of the early years missionaries that majority of Africans were able to turn to Christ, away from their primitive lifestyle.
"Sadly so, missionary work is becoming an awful life of loneliness," said Reverend David Hinderer who was the first missionary to visit Ibadan.
On one hand, the British government was reported to be more interested in the palm produce and the vast natural resources of Nigeria than spreading the gospel. Hence, their fund, which once used to be regular, were no longer forthcoming.
Now, in the 21st century, the situation is not getting any better. The sorry state of missionaries all over the country, with thousands forgotten in remote villages and scattered across the country living with strangers and winning souls for Christ, "Our only source of joy is seeing people give their lives to Christ," said a missionary that would not give his name.
For Pastor Samuel Adebayo, when the suffering became rather tough, he took to selling firewood and involved himself in other menial jobs to sustain himself and his family in the absence of expected support.
"The traditional chief, Baale, of the mission field where I am based was always against me because we don’t contribute money for their sacrifice. They had tried to kill us; but were not successful instead someone was killed at the back of my house and laid false allegations against me that I was the murderer. But thank God that I was eventually acquitted," he said.
Pastor Adebayo who was called into mission work in Alabidun village, Ona-Ara local government, Oyo State in 2002 continued: "Another challenge is feeding. There was always a battle whenever we want to eat. Mission work is not an easy task due to the challenges which could be physical or spiritual."
For the Liaison officer, Nigeria Evangelical Missions (NEMA) representative in Lagos State, Pastor Edward Dooga when it comes to missionary having family, marriage is a major issue. "It was difficult for a young man anchored with missionary responsibilities and good prospects in life to get a wife. Most of the fine girls refused because they felt I could not earn a living from what I was doing and I in return was not ready to leave the mission field for anything.
"But even in the mission field after the resignation, this young girl, refering to his wife, Mrs. Mimi Deborah Edwards-Dooga, found me as her ‘angel’ that was sent by God. Aside this, there are many other challenges which include needs and conflicts but they are not challenges as far as God’s will to win souls is accomplished."
According to him, "family acceptance is another big challenge for them as missionaries. He said: "My first and foremost challenge was my family who were Catholic. When I told them of my missionary ambition, they felt giving my life to Christ was just an indirect way of changing churches so my mother most especially opposed the vision.
"Things became unbearable when I was travelling to Ghana. My mother said to me ‘if you are truly my son, you won’t go on this mission trip.’ I replied her that "I was truly her son and would still go for the trip."
Dooga, who started mission work in 1982, said if people are wondering why they refuse to give up against all odds, his response is: "Mission work is non-negotiable. It is not by choice. It is what we Christians live for. This is the sole reason why we have the church on earth. It is the reason for our being born-again and still remain on the face of the earth and not taken to heaven immediately.
"Mission is everything God has given the church. But the church has decided to rather embezzle the church at the expense of God’s mission. Even as the church has sufficient resources to accomplish mission work, enough to do missions in Nigeria, yet the church is not doing so. It is not that the church does not want to do it but they don’t understand how it should be done," he said.
Pastor Sunday Bakare, whose mission field is in Ogunronbi, an interior part of Ogun state, his is a gory tale. For a man that has been involved in missionary activities for almost 10years, he is meant to be happy but his plight won’t allow that.
Bakare, from a Muslim background called to the missionary work said: "Others don’t know that the number of people in the rural areas are more than the people out there. They prefer their conducive environment, tithes and to build kingdoms for themselves all under the umbrella of offices and forget their fellow brethren in the rural setting." He got involved with mission work through the drama ministry as a stage director with other mission-minded people with a focus on ministration, evangelism, and intercession.
Presently, Bakare’s situation is highly pathetic as he feeds his family virtually from hand-to-mouth. He said: "We hardly have the normal three-square meals to eat. We drink highly contaminated water. We have no electricity and no employment opportunities." He added: "When I arrived at Ogunrobi village, life was extremely difficult for me. I’ll go into the bush to get fruits which I used as breakfast. Lunch is not always available and at night we eat whatever is available; and our dinner is actually tagged ‘God will provide’.
Away from all the tales, support have began to come the way of the missionaries even though it might be considered insignificant compared to the numbers of the missionaries and the magnitude of the work they are doing.
A media Christian group called Journalists for Christ (JFC), which often makes out the time to visit missionaries in the remote villages in order to identify with them and give some support towards aiding the works of the servants of God, recently paid one of such suprise visits to a mission field.
During a visit to one of the sites recently, National Coordinator, JFC, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin said "Mission work is not only for the man on the field, but also anybody who is supporting the work in one way or another."
Also, Mission House International, a Christian ministry dedicated to taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the remaining unreached people and groups, headed by Tor Uja, is another minstry calling for support.
Uja said: "The missionaries we are sending forth are made up a chunk of the missionaries in this country; but support from other organisations has been slow; hence, we believe that this is drawing back this important work of God."