John Apea
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II recently created a Leadership programme for the youth from Commonwealth countries.
Run in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society, the programme was officially launched by His Royal Highness Prince William and His Royal Highness Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace in London.
The programme will offer leadership training and awards for selected youth across all 53 Commonwealth countries.
More specifically, it will allow the youth to actualise their leadership and entrepreneurship dreams after school.
Additionally, grants will be provided for selected youth-focused businesses and organisations that transform the lives of youth.
In an interview with BUSINESS GUIDE, John Apea, an Oxford educated Africa Representative for the Commonwealth, emphasized the enormous socio-economic potential of the Commonwealth to transform the life of its citizens.
‘With an estimated population of 2.328 billion, which includes the largest generation of young people (1.3 billion plus), the Commonwealth last year produced a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $10.450 trillion, representing 17 percent of the world GDP when measured in purchasing power parity (PPP), and 14 percent of the Gross world product when measured nominally. This represents the second largest nominal GDP and third largest GDP PPP in the world.’
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan stated that the Commonwealth must be seen as a ‘badge of honour’ for member states.
‘Mr Apea reiterated that like the Queens Young Leaders Awards, the emphasis of Commonwealth projects would focus primarily on the youth.
‘This is the decade for the entrepreneurial youth. In the past, they have been seen as vestiges of despair. However, they are mighty pillars on which the future of the African continent rests. The youth must be agents of change rather than objects of change; I fully endorse and encourage the youth of Ghana and Africa to be part of the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards.’
The Commonwealth of Nations, commonly known as the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth), is an inter-governmental organisation of 53 member states that were mostly territories of the former Empire.
The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme seeks to support thousands of young people between the ages of 18-29 to make their dreams of a better society a reality.
Specifically, it will comprise an awards scheme to recognise the achievements of 240 inspirational young people, provide support to enable them take up future leadership roles and offer grants to support organisations in selected countries across the Commonwealth that work with young people to transform their lives.
More information on the project is available on: www.queensyoungleaders.com or www.thercs.org .
By Samuel Boadi
(Pix saved as Queen Elizabeth II , John Apea in bus)
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