by ‘Ifreke Inyang

Lagos will host the final conference of the RISE National Youth Forum.

The 2011 sessions opened in Calabar on the 16th of July and has taken place in nine other cities across the federation. Curtains will be drawn on the event  scheduled to hold on 26th November, 2011 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

The event has since gotten one of its biggest endorsements which came from Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States of America. Mrs Obama described the event as the largest youth conference in Nigeria when she visited South Africa for the Young Women Leaders’ Forum.

The organisers have assured us that this edition would be worth the wait. The list of youth mentors scheduled to speak at the conference is quite impressive. The participants will have the privilege to listen to achievers like  Audu Maikori; CEO Chocolate City Entertainment, Banky W; Musician and Youth Advocate, Chude Jideonwo; co-founder/creative director of The Future Awards, Uche Eze; founder of Bella Naija which is West Africa’s most successful lifestyle website, IK Osakioduwa; host of Big Brother Africa and on-air personality at Silverbird Rhythm 93.7FM, Toyosi Ogunseye ; 2011 CNN African Journalist of the year and news editor of Punch Newspapers.

Some notable opinion leaders like Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, MD/CEO of Neimeth Pharmaceuticals and President, Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce,  Pastor Tunde Bakare; pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and 2011 CPC Vice Presidential Candidate, Mr Idy Enang; managing director  of Samsung Nigeria and Mr Jimi Agbaje, Lagos State gubernatorial aspirant 2007 general elections would be guest speakers at the event.  The opening and closing remarks will be given by Tonye Cole, Managing Director of Sahara Energy and Mrs Nike Ogunlesi, the CEO of Ruff and Tumble respectively.

This year, RISE forums took  place in Akure, Kano, Abia, Abeokuta, Ekiti, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo. Stakeholders within RISE believe the success of the program over the years has been in the firm delivery of promises, the robust and empowering content of RISE programs and the passion and unwavering commitment of the RISE board, sponsors and media partners.

That’s not all, winners of the RISE students’ quiz competition would smile to the bank  with cash prizes worth over 150,000 , laptops, printers, Internet modems, Blackberry phones, generating sets, leadership books, 21 Inch TV Set, DSTV decoder with dish. Audience quiz players also go home with leadership books and exotic gifts.