Youths Throng IC2030 Site After Soyinka’s Challenge

Prof. Wole Soyinka (m), at the Official Launch of UN Solution 17 – IC2030 (InnoCreativa Youth Hub) flanked L – R by Tayo Orekoya, Managing Consultant, CITC Global Consulting; Mr. Ronald Kayanja, Country Director, United nations Information Centre (UNIC); Funke-Treasure Durodola, Renowned Broadcaster; Foluke Michael, CEO/Founder, CYCDI; Ehi Braimah, CEO, Neo Media & Ayodeji Oluwadare, Creative Director, CYCDI on July 2, 2019 in Lagos

The Innocreativa Youth Hub declared open on July 2, 2019 in Lagos by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has received huge look and traffic online in high tones by Nigerian Youths who are eager to participate in the project.

The Innocreativa Youth Hub was launched with fanfare at the Civic Centre along with the launch of the United Nations’ Solutions 17 SDG programme, an event which was well attended by the Country Director of the United Nations Information Centre Mr. Ronald Kayanja, diplomatic missions, corporate organizations and members of the press.


Promoter of the project, and the founder of Creative Youth Community Development Initiative Ms. Foluke Michael confirmed that calls for entries to be part of Solution17 for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8 has never been more embraced by Nigerians.

“Just one week into the calls for entries we have had unprecedented traffic on our websites www.cycdi.com/ic2030  and beyond anything, this has communicated to us that the interest by the Nigerian youth to contribute to the SDGs has been on the rise” she said.

Last week, Nobel Laureath, Professor Wole Soyinka, a supporter of the project, who spoke at the unveiling of the Innocreativa Hub, said that the Nigerian youth needs to do a little more to be part of the solution to national and global problems.

He said; “Nigerian youths are full of spunk outside but when they are inside Nigeria, they are full of gas. We are building a generation of illiterates. They are the first to comment on the internet on issues they are ignorant about. When you talk about education, I get texts from the new generation and can’t believe these texts are from the youth.”

He went ahead to commend Ms Michael's initiative and her team as one of the examples of positive engagement of the myriads of the Nigerian problems.

“ I have had to work with so many young people and I must say I am very proud of Foluke and her team” he added.

Foluke’s Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) Solution 17 won the United Nation’s Action Award in 2018 which is presently being franchised to be deployed in India, Morocco and Switzerland.

The Innocreativa Youth Hub is a call for youth to take on the challenge of the 17 SDGs. Seventeen finalists would be camped at the Innovation Lab and would be taken though several empowerment initiatives for two weeks before they eventually present their respective solutions to the public.

Tayo Orekoya, lead consultant at the CITC Global Consulting firm which is presently partnering with CYCDI to deliver values and raise deliverables on the project said that, "there are positive developments already following the challenge of Professor Wole Soyinka.

“I believe we are at the edge of a major revolution and the Innocreativa Youth Hub is a great catalyst system for social change and our strategic edge would be help put more value on the table for all stakeholders” he said.