…To Share Practical Experiences on Challenges Facing Young Professionals and Strategies for Strengthening Youth-Led Organisations
Young dynamic Engineer, Engr. Olumayowa Ayodeji Idowu is set to represent the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) at the 2nd Global Dialogue of Young Leaders, an international gathering of presidents, chairpersons and representatives of young professional organisations from across the world. The event, scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026, is being organised by the National Committee of Young Engineers and Future Leaders of Peru under the theme “Engage, Inspire, Lead: Building Stronger Young Professional Organizations.”
Idowu will participate in a guided international panel discussion, where he will respond to questions on the challenges affecting youth empowerment and young professional organisations, practical approaches to addressing these challenges, and real-life examples of successful interventions. His contributions will address issues such as limited leadership opportunities, inadequate mentorship, insufficient funding, weak institutional support, low membership engagement and barriers to meaningful participation in professional decision-making.
Drawing from his leadership experience within the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Federation of African Engineering Organizations (FAEO), Idowu is expected to highlight practical strategies for strengthening young professional organisations through structured mentorship, leadership development, capacity building, professional networking, international collaboration and inclusive governance. He will also share experiences from his leadership of the NSE Abeokuta Branch and his involvement in initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation, innovation and professional development.
Speaking ahead of the programme, Idowu emphasised that youth empowerment must go beyond motivational speeches and symbolic representation to providing meaningful opportunities for professional growth, leadership responsibility and measurable contributions to society. He noted that the sustainability of young professional organisations depends on effective leadership succession, transparent governance, institutional support and programmes that respond to members’ needs, while encouraging young professionals to participate actively in solving real-world challenges.
Idowu currently serves as Chairman of the NSE Branch Chairmen Forum, representing 94 branches across Nigeria and the diaspora, and is actively involved in continental engineering leadership through FAEO. A Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a COREN-registered engineer, he has consistently championed purposeful leadership, professional excellence, youth empowerment and international collaboration under his leadership philosophy of “Engineering of Impact.”
The Global Dialogue of Young Leaders is coordinated by an international organising committee led by Dr. Eng. Karla Fiorella Díaz Rodríguez, Executive Chair of the initiative and President of the National Committee of Young Engineers and Future Leaders of the National Association of Engineers of Peru. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the dialogue seeks to strengthen international cooperation, promote knowledge exchange and identify practical solutions to challenges facing young professional organisations.
Idowu’s participation is expected to bring Nigerian and African perspectives into global discussions on youth empowerment, leadership development and the sustainability of professional institutions.
