No fewer than 200 teenagers from Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun State are set to participate in a five-day leadership and capacity-building bootcamp organised by the member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Bamidele Salam.
The Teenagers’ Leadership Bootcamp, scheduled for September 28 to October 2, 2026, is being organised through the Children of Africa Leadership and Values Development Initiative, CALDEV, founded by Salam, in partnership with FirstBank.
The programme, themed “Empowering the Next Generation of Responsible, Tech-Savvy, and Impact-Driven Leaders,” is designed to equip teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 with practical skills and values for responsible citizenship, leadership and community development.
Participants are expected to receive training in leadership, financial literacy, artificial intelligence, critical thinking, problem-solving, public speaking, teamwork, integrity and community engagement.
Speaking on the initiative, Salam said investing in young people was essential to building a responsible and productive society, stressing that leadership development should begin before young people assume formal positions of authority.
He said the bootcamp was designed to provide an environment where teenagers could build confidence, discover their potential, learn from one another and understand their responsibilities to their families, schools and communities.
According to him, the programme will combine classroom sessions with practical exercises to enable participants to apply the knowledge acquired to real-life challenges.
“A major component of the programme is the focus on artificial intelligence, alongside critical-thinking and problem-solving exercises, teamwork, public-speaking sessions, leadership activities and an inter-local government quiz competition,” he said.
The organisers said the programme would also expose participants to the understanding that leadership goes beyond occupying political or formal positions, with emphasis on integrity, service, accountability, empathy and problem-solving.
Participants will be drawn from schools, Islamic and Christian organisations, persons with disabilities and other groups across the four local government areas, in a bid to ensure diversity and inclusiveness.
The five-day programme will culminate in a variety night on October 1, featuring an inter-local government quiz competition, talent presentations and presentations of solutions developed during a community problem-solving challenge.
The participants will receive certificates at the end of the programme and are expected to depart on October 2.
Salam expressed appreciation to FirstBank for partnering in the initiative, describing the collaboration as a contribution to youth development and investment in the next generation.
He said the bootcamp reflected his commitment to initiatives that expand opportunities for young people in the constituency, particularly in education, technology, leadership and responsible citizenship.
The organisers said the initiative ultimately seeks to nurture young people who are confident, responsible, technology-conscious and equipped to make positive contributions to their families, schools and communities.