NGYouthSDGs commemorated the 2025 International Volunteers Day with a virtual event themed “Local Action, Global Impact” on 6 December 2025. The event brought together young volunteers, development practitioners, and youth leaders to reflect on the role of volunteerism in community development, leadership building, and sustainable development.
The virtual event, hosted on Zoom, recorded over 200 registrations, with an average of 50 participants actively present throughout the programme. Participants represented a wide range of youth organisations and communities across Nigeria. Despite minor internet connectivity challenges experienced by some attendees, participation and engagement remained strong.
The event was designed to raise awareness about the importance of volunteerism, particularly among young people aged 16–35, and to highlight its role in skills development, leadership growth, and career exposure. It also sought to strengthen the visibility of NGYouthSDGs as a youth-led platform committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through community-driven action. The session opened with welcome remarks from the moderator, Rosemary Akpo, who encouraged participants to reflect on the meaning of volunteering and its impact on individuals and communities. Participant responses emphasised service, leadership, and community development.
In his opening address, Joshua Alade, Executive Director of NGYouthSDGs, described volunteering as a form of leadership and shared his personal experience volunteering in Kwara State. He highlighted how community service broadened his perspective and influenced his academic and professional journey, including his scholarship-funded master’s programme in the United Kingdom. His address underscored the idea that consistent local action can lead to significant personal growth and global opportunities.
The programme featured a spoken-word performance by Charity Kolo, titled “We Are Volunteers,” which highlighted the resilience, purpose, and transformative power of service. The performance reinforced the event’s central message of collective impact and commitment to community development.
Juliet Oni, a representative of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, provided a few insights of the UNV programme. She outlined the role of UNV in supporting peace and development across the United Nations system and provided information on available volunteering categories and application processes. Participants were encouraged to explore formal international volunteering pathways.
A panel discussion titled “Scaling Local Impact for Global Change” was moderated by David Equere and featured representatives from Oluwayemisi Iyanda (Head of Business Development, AIESEC), Somtochukwu Udaya (Club Administrator, Rotaract), and Morenikeji Olaniran (Member, NGYouthSDGs Youth Advisory Board). Panelists discussed the importance of community-driven solutions, the role of youth-led initiatives in advancing global development goals, and the need for inclusivity in volunteering, particularly for women and persons with disabilities. Practical strategies for sustaining community ownership while expanding impact were also shared.
An interactive experience-sharing session facilitated by Paulina Ohi allowed participants to reflect on their personal volunteering journeys. Volunteers shared how service has contributed to their confidence, skills development, professional networks, and access to local and international opportunities. Notably, Abraham Terna (Rotaract FHA Lugbe, Nigeria) and Dickson Alex (Ghana) highlighted the value of cross-cultural collaboration and starting community impact initiatives at the local level.
The event also featured a guest session with Monica Alcantara from Brazil, who shared her experience as a UNV volunteer working with a diverse international team. She emphasised cultural diversity as a strength and highlighted how digital volunteering enables effective global collaboration across borders.
Participant engagement activities revealed that volunteering had positively influenced attendees by reshaping their perspectives on community service, fostering meaningful relationships, providing career opportunities, and equipping them with practical life skills. A significant number of participants expressed satisfaction with their volunteer experiences and a strong commitment to continued service. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the event as inspiring and informative. Participants noted that hearing real-life experiences from volunteers and development practitioners strengthened their motivation to remain active in volunteerism and to explore new avenues for impact, including international opportunities.
The 2025 International Volunteers Day virtual event successfully reinforced the importance of local action in driving global impact. Through storytelling, expert insights, and peer learning, the event strengthened connections within the youth volunteer community and deepened awareness of volunteerism as a pathway to leadership and sustainable development. NGYouthSDGs remains committed to promoting volunteerism as a tool for youth empowerment and community transformation and looks forward to building stronger platforms for youth-led impact in 2026 and beyond.
