“This is an unusual place to hold a youth empowerment event.” I whispered to the lady standing beside me, who nodded in affirmative. The venue was O2 Nightclub on Sanusi Fafunwa street, Victoria Island; time-check, 9pm and Yes, many youths were already trouping into the club, oblivious of what was would happen that night; The event was FR:2 (Fashion revolution reloaded) by Kowry Kreation media.
According to young Aderemi Adegbite, the programme was initiated to provide a platform for young and promising Entrepreneurs to showcase their innate creative talents which would revive the mainstream of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) in Nigeria and in the process inspire other young people to change their perception of believing that engaging in frivolous activities or traveling abroad is the opium of life.
As I sat in the nightclub-cum-event hall, among other equally empowered youths yearning to inspire their peers and mingle with those who were ready to take up the challenge, I observed how keen the participants were, thanks to the boldness of a generation willing to stretch themselves farther in order to salvage the future without compromise.
Indeed, it has become very crucial for more youth organizations to adopt innovative approach in addressing issues affecting young people through a channel that will effectively reach their target audience. For example, Aderemi’s concern about the inability of youths to transform their innate talents to make profound contributions towards development inspired him to create a platform (fashion show) where young people succeeding in the industry can inspire their peers.
Herbay Stitches, who designs Denrele Edun’s clothes; Buga Fash of University of Lagos; and Allen Culture, a distinctive designer from Olabisi Onabanjo University were some of the young and vibrant designers selected to showcase their work on the runway. No, they didn’t make any elaborate speech, but only showcased their work for their actions to speak for them.
Aside these designers, other young creative talents added colors to the event. Sage Hasson performed spokenwords, Ibiyemi thrilled the audience with her songs and Laff-up got the audience falling off their seats with his rib cracking jokes. The music by Labogini, a new face on the block, also got a loud accolade for his performance.
Hopefully, the young people who attended the event returned home in the early hours of the morning inspired with a stronger conviction that they too can dig deep into their innate talents and transform it into entrepreneurship. Although some guys and girls complained that their business as usual at the nightclub was disrupted, as if the nightclub was burnt down, I believe it was for a good cause. They definitely will see that spot through a new eyes when next they visit, and lets see if they can resist the urge to go do something and impact their world positively.
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