RCE Minna - 2019

AFRICAN VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: RCE MINNA BRIGDING THE GAP OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING THROUGH VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
AFRICAN VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: RCE MINNA BRIGDING THE GAP OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING THROUGH VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Minna
Contributing organization(s) : 
RCE Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Mr. Vince St. Germain
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE GRAND RAPIDS
E-mail: 
stgermav@gvsu.edu
Format of project: 
POWERPOINT
Language of project: 
ENGLISH
Date of submission:
Update
Web link: 
www.rceminna.com.ng
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
GOAL FOUR (4): Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT)
At what level is the policy operating?: 
International
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Nigeria
Location(s): 
MINNA
Address of focal point institution for project: 
SUITE 02, IICO BUILDING, OPP. NIGER STATE SUPPLY COMPANY, MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community, Secondary, TVET, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Minna been the host community of RCE Minna, is a city (estimated population 304,113 in 2007) in north-central Nigeria the capital of Niger State. The state is one of Nigeria's 36 federal states. It consists of 2 major ethnic groups: the Nupe and Gbagyi. The major activities of the local people are farming and hunting. The people also engage in small scale businesses with the state’s IGR hovering between 400million naira and 500million naira in 2018. Minna is about 150km to the capital city of Nigeria.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Minna as a city Nigeria is not excluded from the devastating economic challenges bedeviling African countries occasioned by poor governance, teeming unemployed youths, external interference by western powers and a long history of heavy dependence on mono-economy. Most counties in Africa are overwhelmed by the fall in value of commodities in the international market that crashed many economies of the many countries that contribute significantly to the funding of their budgets, as evident in the belief by many Africans that nothing can move without an external finance or help. Youths been the majority in most of these countries are the most affected. To make things worse, youths on the continent are relentlessly taken a back-seat role in the affairs of their nations allowing the prevailing situation to thrive. Thus, mortgaging their future and destinies to the foreign powers. It is in this light that youths become a time bomb waiting to explode due to their indulgent in all sort of vices ranging from substance abuse to cultism and other forms of crimes. These and many more prompted the RCE Minna to collaborate with RCE Michigan to bring together youths from western, eastern and southern Africa through a virtual conference to discuss ways of addressing the challenge of poor governance, unemployment and leadership roles to make room for youth participation in the affairs of their country.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
August, 2016 to September, 2017
Rationale: 
This project of bridging the gap of knowledge sharing for African youths through a virtual conference became necessary in view of the challenges confronting most countries in the continent. These challenges have persistently been a thing of concern as youths have been subconsciously relegated to the hind in the affairs of their countries. And of course, the African youths have an integral role to play in bringing about Sustainable Development, Good Governance and sound Leadership on the continent, this was why the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Minna, Nigeria in collaboration with RCE Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, organized the conference twice, brought together, through ICT, young people from across Eastern, Western and Southern Africa to discuss ways of addressing the challenges of unemployment, Leadership and Governance on the continent through sound and active youth participation in the decision-making process, advocacy, sensitization, enlightenment and taking leadership roles in their various communities, regions and countries.
Objectives: 
The objectives of the project are to:
1. To address the challenges of Leadership and Governance in the Africa through sound and active youth participation in the decision-making process.
2. To discuss ways of addressing the challenge of youth unemployment and climate change through Technical Vocational Education and Training.
3. To enlighten the youths on taking leadership roles in their various communities, regions and countries.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
The activities include:
1. The participating RCEs identified administrators/members/youths interested in sharing ideas/issues of vocational and entrepreneurship development, unemployment and governance in their community/regions.
2. The both conferences involves Presentation of papers by the participating RCEs in Africa through virtual means.
3. It involves a good interaction between the participants and other spectators during and after the presentation.
Size of academic audience: 
Approximately 10 (including participants, RCE Teams and other invited guests for both conferences)
Results: 
1. It was surmised from both conferences that, both youth unemployment and Climate Change are global challenge, hence, the need for Lifelong Learning to transform our society.
2. That African youth should not sit and wail, but rather take up active roles in self-empowerment and sustainability, take part in governance and the Virtual Conference was an avenue for more visibility and interaction for RCE youths in Africa.
3. However, nobody but Africans, nay African youths are to find local solutions to their challenges.
Lessons learned: 
Some of the lesson learned and still learning include:
1. There is need to always bring stakeholders together, table a challenge and discuss it, thereby bringing long lasting solutions to those challenges.
2. That networking, education (both formal, non-formal and informal) and sharing ideas is vital to the development of African youth across all sectors.
3. The conference has raised more awareness for youths on what RCEs stands for across the globe.
4. Partnership is key in executing such projects as this because RCE Minna could not afford to carry out and sustain conference alone.
Key messages: 
It is pertinent and instructive to add that, the both edition of virtual conference held have received good commendation which will no doubt stand out as one of the major activities of RCE Minna. We at RCE Minna will continue to look at those area posing challenges to the youths in Africa and bridge the gap through knowledge sharing using virtual means. We hope to keep having good support from RCE Grand Rapids, Michigan as they have been very instrumental so far in carrying out this project. It is worthy of mention here that, as the worlds yearn for Lifelong Learning, at RCE Minna we are already walking the Talk.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
This project is linked with the activity of RCE Michigan been the first to host a virtual conference for youths. However, they (RCE Michigan) are part of this project and very instrumental for its success.
Funding: 
The funds for the project are majorly from RCE coordinator and Members.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon photo1.jpg (89.43 KB) Cross section of participants and guests in Minna at the 1st edition of the African youth virtual conference. RCE Minna
Image icon photo2.jpg (182.3 KB) Participants of the 2nd Edition making presentation. RCE Minna
Image icon photo3.jpg (157.93 KB) Cross section of guests at the 2nd Virtual conference. RCE Minna
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Direct
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Indirect
Update: 
Yes