by Isi Esene

This weeks Rubbin’ Minds on ChannelsTV was titled Media for Change. It featured an array of discussants who spoke passionately about the subject.

The discussants who came to do justice to the subject were Adebola Williams; Ukwori Onuma, Coordinator, LEAP Africa; Ada Umeofia of We Built Nigeria 2.0, and Kathleen Ndongmo, Ideation consultant.

The discussants talked about the power of media to induce change and the impact of social media in amplifying the voice of the youth.

Kathleen Ndongmo, one of the panelists spoke about the need for attitudinal change among the youths while noting the time and process it takes to achieve this change.

Ukwori Onuma disagreed with the widely held notion that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow saying, “One of the most important things about LEAP is the understanding that youths are the leaders of today.”

Mr. Adebola Williams, the Co-founder of The Future Project, advised young people to join the national discussion and not to underestimate their power to make a difference.

He said, “There is nothing like the power of media. With your two hundred friends on Facebook, you can actually do something.”

Onuma also talked about the benefits of mentorship in the process of channeling the power of media which we have literally within our grasp. She urged the youths to choose mentors whose integrity is impeccable and have the right values.

The panelists agreed that it is absolutely crucial to rightly channel the power of new media because it is a two-edged sword which can make or break the youth agenda for development.