Personalty

 “We are ready to hold Egba Youth Award across the Globe"- ORGANISERS

Odetola Abiola Olamilekan is one of the brain behind the prestigious EGBA YOUTH AWARD. during an exclusive interview with Bola Solate at PublicFaces Magazine's outlet he shared his aspiration about the project and what people should expect from the 4TH EDITION.

EXCERPT;

How did you come about the concept of the award?

Well,Egba youth award as a concept was not my personal idea. Five years ago, when we were still in the University, we notice that our colleagues in the university then like to be celebrated and recognized  So we decided to come back home; to our hometown and make such idea work out.  We are about 5 in numbers that started this idea,we gave birth to this idea under a tree in MAPOLY 5years ago.

That means you schooled at MAPOLY?

No,I finished from Olabisi Onabanjo university but we met at MAPOLY the day we conceived this idea 5years ago.

What can you say about responses in terms of the award?

Well,I will answer the question in two ways. First in respect of the response of the youths, who are our target, has been very good,as I said earlier young people of this country really want to be identified with,they want a group that would celebrate them and identify with what they are doing . Secondly, the older generation who are suppose to be the pillar behind this kind of idea; they are suppose to be giving us the necessary and needed support. I would say they have been found wanting,they have not really given the necessary and needed support also from the side of government; we have not been receiving the necessary support too. You know this kind of idea you expect Ministry for Youth and Sports to take it very serious.

So what are the criteria for the award?

Well, just like any other award.What we do basically is this,over the months of a particular year we sit back watch people,watch the youth around, watch what they are doing but we don’t really take to that, this year. what we did was, we printed about fifty questionnaires, we sent it to media houses,we sent some notable outlet in Abeokuta that we know watches the activities of the Egba people and we gave them the categories to fill it for us and we went all ahead to check those names and nominated the people that where picked the most in the questionnaires; by so doing,we eliminate the issue of unfairness and other things.

Odetola Abiola Olamilekan

What are the challenges you have been facing so far,nomination,planning,event?

I would not lie to you,there are a lot of challenges, one the environmental factor;everybody believes that a young undergraduates that are engaged in such are using it as a money making mechanism,as such they want to sit back hold their capital; they don’t want to invest their money into it,they still see such a project as a “ jamboree ’’. That is why we always implore people to come,and see what the objective and aims of these whole idea is all about, so I will tell you that for every project, finance is very crucial and we have not been getting that especially at this point in time where the election is round the corner.things like this, so finance is number one, acceptance is number two.

You are planning this year edition coming up on 14^th December, what are those things you planned for this year, that will make it unique than the previous?

The truth is that the previous Egba Youth Award , have been having a lot of criticism, people always say that the awards we give out is too much, so for this year’s edition, we decided  to cut down the categories; we will only have twenty-five categories of awards this year, now with spices that really different  is the fact  that we have changed the logo and this is, what the plaque will be coming out with,having a sample of Olumo, another the beauty of  this edition, is that there will be much comedy,there will be live band from WolePapa we haven’t have it that way, we used to have DJ,there will be cultural display and also we are having a unique kind of red carpet,we are having a mat  and Kampala mixture those are the little things that is adding glamour to this edition of this award.

Being an Egba Youth Award, are you saying that the people coming in should dress in Egba native attire or adire?

On that,we are not making it mandatory for people to come in their native attire or adire outfit but ofcourse it speak much volume of your person and your fashion sense when you  are going to such an outing  that is an Egba outing,but we decided that our uniform as a team on that day will definitely be Kampala and Adire textile and of course anybody that is coming to such an event we expect them to come in such outfit and will also accommodate people that decide to come out in their normal gown, normal outfit, just look elegant.

What will you do to make Egba youth award the best award in the world?

Wow! If we are to make Egba Youth Award the best award in the world, we will have to go to each Country of the world and have Egba Youth award with all Egba’s people that reside there,since the award is for the Egba people; not just for Egba people actually, but people that are investing in Egba, people that are born in Egba.

When will you say that Egba youth award has gotten to the peak?

We can say we have gotten to the peak by the time we have the award and every Egba indigene in Diaspora come home to witness it and I believe by that time a whole lot of companies would be willing to support and partner with us,that time we say "Yes we are done"