Maryam Aminu
Since assumption of office, the Honourable Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande has continued to vigorously express concerns over issues affecting Nigerian youths.
In a bid to check the rising unemployment among young Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Youth is set to empower and train 7 million Nigerian youth with at least two skills each through the about-to-be launched Nigeria Youth Academy NIYA initiatives.
Olawande made this known on Thursday when he played host to State Commissioners for Youth and Sports Development in his office in Abuja
He said the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) is a dynamic Youth-Focused Education and Empowerment Platform poised to impact millions of youths across Nigeria.
According to the Minister, the objective of the meeting was to have a strong collaboration with State Commissioners from the 36 states of the nation in order to guarantee effective replication of Federal Government initiatives and programmes aimed at addressing the challenges confronting youths in the nation.
He emphasized the need to change the narrative through engagements with the youth from different states and provision of the enabling environment to make them productive.
The Minister also emphasized to the commissioners the need for cooperation in order to ensure seamless implementation of youth programmes and policies, most especially at the state and local government levels.
“In line with the renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President on access to capital, job creation, poverty reduction, food security, and inclusion, the Ministry is working with the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), a digital platform to educate, empower and elevate millions of Nigerian youths in areas of capacity building, entrepreneurial support, mentorship and much more,” the Minister said.
He further revealed that the Government will train inmates on skills acquisition, adding that the current administration believes that this approach would guarantee the reduction in the number of repeat offenders and also enhance the reintegration of the inmates who are predominantly youths into the society.
Speaking further about other activities of the Ministry, the Minister observed that the “youth engagement activities which already
commenced in Borno State will continue so that at every point, there is always a platform for youths to offer their ideas and make inputs into government policies and programmes.”
“We are equally working, exploring the prospects of establishing a ‘Green House’ in each Local Government Area that will serve as a facility where unemployed young people at the Local Government level can go to access support and begin their journey towards a productive and gainful engagement,” he added.
Olawande explained that the Ministry will partner with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Industry (BoI) and other Ministries, Department and Agencies to tackle the challenges confronting the youths.
In his words, he said, “As the Minister of Youth Development, I am aware that Nigeria has a high population of youths who make critical contributions in the economic development of the nation. In today’s dynamic world, the youths are the driving force in shaping the economic growth of any nation. Therefore, harnessing this energetic and vibrant youth demography has become imperative for the country’s progress and development.” He said.
The leader of the Forum of State Commissioners of Youth and Sports Development, Nigeria, Bashir Datti, who is also the Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Plateau State assured the Minister that the Commissioners from various States are ready to collaborate and support the Federal Government to achieve these goals, adding that the youths have to be engaged to shun social vices.
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