2020 was a pivotal year for me, amplifying my work in the area of decent work for young people. At the same time, I have been actively involved in localizing SDGs and working on various projects. The COVID-19 pandemic made me reflect on the changes in jobs and requirements in the labour market. To gain access to specific jobs or opportunities, one must have a computer, digital and leadership skills. I developed an interest in training youths and women between the ages of (10 -29) on the computer, digital and leadership skills.
Since I started the project, I have been able to provide training on computer, digital and leadership skills to over 100 young people within my community. Seeing the participant becoming employable and armed with marketable skills, turning them into community problem solvers and contributing to the economy’s growth makes me happy.
I have realized the ripple effect of playing your part in localizing SDGs. Your action changes you, your community, your people and your life for good. To share a few of my happy moments in life because of my actions, I was recognized by Generation Connect – an initiative of the International Telecommunication Unit. I was one of four ambassadors selected worldwide to speak about my work in digital skills education during the Generation Connect Youth summit in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2022.
I have also gotten opportunities to present my idea at many conferences online/offline and impact more young people around the world. Recently I was spotlighted by Oxfam in Nigeria and the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network and received an award for the outstanding commitment I am making to developing my community.
In everything you do, a challenge or two must come up. My idea is in the ICT sector, and some of the significant challenges I face are a lack of space and digital resources to train many youths. The other is finding the right team to implement my ideas, but this hasn’t stopped me from doing the work.
“No contribution is too little; just do what you can now”. To take action for SDGs, set yourself free, identify the problem, take action and do something.
Dogara Iliya is a Youth Champion at Nigeria Youth SDGs
