FG Commits To Youth Empowerment For Nation Building

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has reiterated commitment towards youths empowerment through entrepreneurial and skills acquisition for sustainable economic development.

The Minister of Youths Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande who made the call in Abuja, in a stakeholders Interactive forum said the program was targeted towards addressing the high rate of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country.

Represented by the Director, Planning Research and Statistics of the Ministry, Mr Anthony Chukwuka, he explained that the ongoing commitment to the development of Nigeria youths through the empowerment initiative has promoted peace, unity and restored security by engaging the youths in meaningful ventures across the country.

“This forum comes at a time when Nigeria is confronted with the dual challenge of youth unemployment and increasing vulnerability of some young people to violent extremism, criminality, drug abuse, cyber crime, trafficking and other social vices. While these challenges are significant, they also present an opportunity for us to work together in creating pathways for hope, prosperity and social inclusion.”

“The Federal Government, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Tinubu remains committed to implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda, which places young people at the centre of national development. Our priority is to equip Nigerian youths with employable skills, expand access to finance, stimulate entrepreneurship, encourage innovation and create decent employment opportunities.

He explained that the forum has therefore been convened to strengthen collaboration between Government, financial and development partners in designing and implementing innovative, scalable, saleable and sustainable youth economic intervention.

“We seek to explore financing models, technical partnerships, capacity building initiatives and investment opportunities that will empower Nigerian youths, particularly those in vulnerable and underserved communities. Our vision is to establish a coordinated ecosystem where government policies, private sector investment, development assistance and community participation work together to deliver measurable outcomes.

On her part, Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) Augusta Warrens said the empowerment program through its financial partner “Youth Economic Intervention and Deregulation Program” (YEIDEP) over the years has commenced numerous empowerment initiatives for youths across the country especially in rural communities.

“We have been to some nooks and crannies of the country , done conferences, meetings with youths at the grassroots level to gather authentic details, data concerning them and we have been able to empower over 12 million youths through the initiative.”

“The structure of the (YEIDEP) is unique based on its core mandate captured in the eight point agenda of Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda which is to boost agriculture and diversification of the economy by accelerating development in creative arts, digital economy,.”

“In the Agricultural sector we secured a land for long term farming for beneficiaries and the proceeds are imported afterwards aimed at having food sufficiency and security to increase the nations Gross Domestic Product GDP.

Earlier, the convener of the program and Founding President and Coordinator-General of Youth Economic Intervention and Deregulation Program (YEIDEP) Comrade Kennedy Iyere said the program is targeted on the ordinary man on the street explaining that youth exclusion on human capacity initiatives are the core reason for the present unrest in the country ranging from insecurity and other anti-social vices.

Comrade Iyere stressed that Nigeria has always had good programs spanning from the Green Revolution, Operation Feed the Nation and the Anchor Borrowers Program but, the program failed because of the drivers of those programs were into partisan patronage and other external manipulations.”

“This program is basically designed to entirely tackle insecurity, unemployment and youth poverty by creating employment. Our youths are not lazy they only feel the system has betrayed them and that’s why they said education is a scam and we are laughing about that.This program is for ordinary people, I came from the ghetto even though i am an elite today the program is designed to emancipate
those who can’t find their feet”. Iyere added.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji