by Isi Esene

Young leaders from Nigeria have an important role to play at One Young World summit taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 2 – 5 October 2013.  That’s according to Catherine Peter, Africa Director of One Young World, who is in Lagos this week to meet with young leaders and partners.

Now in its fourth year, One Young World is a charity that hosts an annual summit, bringing together 1,300 exceptional young people to find solutions to local, regional and global challenges. 2013 marks the first time Africa plays host to a One Young World summit.

“Nigeria is a powerhouse on the African continent, therefore it’s crucial the country sends a strong delegation to the first ever African-hosted One Young World summit”, Peter said to YNaija yesterday. “One Young World is all about impact and encouraging leaders of the future from all industries to drive tangible change when they return home from the summit”.

Delegates from 190 countries are set to attend the 2013 summit, giving One Young World its widest global representation to date. 183 countries were represented at the 2012 Summit in Pittsburgh, USA, including a delegation from Nigeria.

The momentum is building for October’s summit, with preparations well underway. South Africa will host an opening ceremony on Wednesday 2^nd October at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, inviting local members of the youth to witness the opening of what is set to be the most locally interactive summit to date with breakout sessions taking place at a number of venues throughout the city.