17 Young Nigerians to be Honored by U.S. Consulate General

Consul General John Bray of the U.S. Consulate General Lagos will on Wednesday of March 2nd 2016, honor at least 17 young Nigerians who have in the last one year shown dedication and unequal committment towards advancing the livelihood of people in selected communities across the Lagos metropolis and Port-Harcourt.

These outstanding youths were about a year ago, admitted as Fellows into the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI); an initiative of the U.S. Consulate General Lagos launched in 2011 to promote the legacies of the iconic civil liberty champion, Ambassador Walter C. Carrington (Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria). On a yearly basis, selected Fellows (known as CYFI Fellows) receives financial grants, mentorship and networking opportunities to aid them in successfully initiating and implementing a result-oriented project in a community of their choice. Most of the projects are centered around Civil Liberties, Economic Empowerment, Education and Health.

So, having successfully completed their one year CYFI projects, the following set of CYFI Fellows will be awarded with certificates among other prizes:
Hope Ogbologugo, Kasope Akinkuowo, Adeniyi Olayemi, Omozino Eguh, Laolu Alabi, Quam Akanni, Nwosu Chinedum, Nissi Madu, Adeniyi Oluokun, Bassey Rachael, Kayode Awokoya, Moshood Abdullateef, Olufunke Olasode, Pamela Akinboboye, Chibuike B. Emmanuel, Lewis-Wikina Sira, Victor Okechukwu
You can checkout the profiles of individual Fellows at CYFI Fellows 2015

The award ceremony will be held in grand style at the official residence of the U.S. Consul General with rank and file guests from all works of life confirmed to grace the occasion.

Attendance to the prestigeous CYFI Awards and Graduation Ceremony night is strictly by invitation. Fortunately for me, I have my invite already, yay! Hope to see you there.

Written by:
Ebenezer O. Akinrinade -- CYFI Fellow 2012
[Photographer| Writer| Social Worker]
Tweet me @gent2smile OR @EbenAkinrinade

APPLY: Become a CYFI Fellow 2016

The Carrington Youth Fellowship Iniative (CYFI) is now inviting credible Nigerian youths with passion for driving community-based developmental projects to apply for CYFI 2016 Program (open to Lagos and Port Harcourt).

About CYFI:
Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative, CYFI, is a dynamic youth-based initiative launched in 2011 by the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos. CYFI brings together Nigerian youth of exceptional vision, skills and experience to design and implement projects that have a positive impact on Nigerian society. The CYFI program was named after the Former Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, who was a champion of civil liberties, democracy and closer ties between the U.S. and Nigeria.

CYFI fellows are committed to putting the ideals of Walter Carrington into practice. The CYFI Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, selects fellows who demonstrate exceptional vision, skills and experience. Fellows are them grouped into teams based on interest, and teams then develop and implement their own youth engagement project over the course of the one-year fellowship duration. In addition to working with their team to bring their project into fruition, CYFI fellows have the opportunity to attend various networking events, roundtables and forums on relevant social issues, hosted by the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos. The year will conclude with an awards ceremony for fellows, where fellows will be inducted into the CYFI Alumni Program.

My Personal Experience:
As a CYFI Fellow 2012, we were the first set to be inducted and I must confess that being a part of the program remains till today as one of the best opportunities I have ever had to learn differently, network effectively and contribute wholeheartedly my quota to empowering unskilled young people with entrepreneurship skills and tools which as of now is helping them to become employers of labour. All the Fellows were fantastic and brilliant crop of young Nigerians who were so committed to making their country a better place. I might as well brag a little that my team was the best because our vocational training project in Ibadan, Youth Entrepreneurship and Creative Academy (YEC-Academy), later won the CYFI Award for Best Youth Engagement Project in 2012. :)

I, Ebenezer O. Akinrinade, is inviting you to be a part of history and make Nigeria proud! Being a CYFI Fellow might just be the perfect platform you need to step up into YALI just like Adepeju Salu (CYFI Alumni and President, YALI Alumni Nigeria).

Application Deadline:
January 11, 2016.

Eligibility:
Lagos and Port-Harcourt.

Official Website:
Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative

CYFI Application Page:
Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative 2016

** Remember to apply and share the opportunity within your professional network.
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APPLY: Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative 2014

The United States Consulate General, Lagos in 2011 launched a dynamic youth engagement initiative known as Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) as a way of bringing together and empowering some of the brightest Nigerian youths who have brilliant ideas and passion for social change.

The initiative is named after the former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter C. Carrington who till date is seen as one of the most respected American diplomat.

Several social projects have been funded and successfully implemented by different sets of Fellows since 2011 till date. The fellowship program open application on a yearly basis for interested candidates to either as individual or group.

To know more about the application requirements and view reports of projects by past and present CYFI Fellows, click on this link:
Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative 2014

To follow up with the CYFI Alumni Fellows, follow @CYFI_ALUMNI on twitter and Like to Facebook page CYFI Alumni

Application for the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative 2014 closes in January.

Please share information with young people who might be interested.

CYFI brings Ambassador Walter Carrington to Lagos

On the 13th of February, 2013, one of the most respected and celebrated U.S. Ambassadors, Walter C. Carrington (Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria), will be hosted in Lagos as a special guest of honour at the 2012/2013 Awards and Closing Ceremony (2012/13 project) of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI).

CYFI is a dynamic youth-based initiative launched in 2011 by the U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, to bring together selected number of Nigerian youth with exceptional vision, skills and experience to design and implement projects that have a positive impact on Nigerian society. As a champion of
civil liberties, democracy and closer ties between the U.S. and Nigeria, CYFI fellows are committed to putting the ideals of Walter Carrington into practice.

The theme of the 2012 CYFI year was “Youth Engagement.” Fellows are grouped into teams based on interest, and teams then develop and implement their own Youth Engagement Project (YEP) over the course of the one-year fellowship duration. In addition to working with their team to bring their YEP into fruition, CYFI fellows have enjoyed the opportunity of attending various networking events, roundtables and forums on relevant social issues, hosted by the U.S. Consulate General,
Lagos. The 2012 CYFI year is set to conclude this February 13th, 2013, with the awards ceremony for fellows, after which fellows will be inducted into the CYFI Alumni Program.

The Awards & Closing Ceremony which is strictly by invitation will hold amidst tight security at the U.S. Consul General residence in Lagos. Other special guest would include the current U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence P. McCulley, Jeffrey Hawkins (U.S. Consul General, Lagos), government officials and other high profiled individuals both from U.S. and from within Nigeria.

To know more about the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative, you can send an email to "carringtonfellows@gmail.com" or visit the CYFI Blog at http://www.cyfinigeria.org

Written by:
Ebenezer Akinrinade (CYFI Fellow)
+2348027701092
gent2poetry@gmail.com