An academic Don, Dr. Okpanachi Jacob, has called on the federal government to focus on providing innovative technical and vocational training opportunities for Nigerian youth as a way of addressing youth unemployment and its attendant consequences.
He made this call during the 4th Goodwill Akpabio Leadership and Youth Mentorship Symposium organized by Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) on the 9th of December 2024 in Abuja with the theme; Igniting Productivity by Utilizing Technical and Vocational Opportunities.
In buttressing the importance of empowering the youths and giving them an economic lifeline towards enhanced productivity, Dr. Okpanachi called on the federal government to “explore all vistas of opportunities for Nigerian youths to enable them to become self employed and employers of labour.
“In the coming years, government at all levels should focus more on innovative technical and vocational training for youths as a way of creating jobs and triggering productivity.
“Conscious efforts must also be made to increase agricultural productivity. In a country where there is vast arable land, it’s unacceptable that our agricultural productivity is low. More Nigerians must therefore be engaged in agriculture, especially the youth to ensure food sufficiency, create balance of trade and reduce the pressure on our foreign exchange.
“Lastly, I call on the Senate president to give support to RUN to embark on nationwide training in the build up to the forthcoming youth conference with the hope that the outcome will lead to productivity, create jobs and end unemployment”.
Addressing journalists at the end of the lecture, the Convener of RUN, Amb. Solomon Adodo appreciated the keynote speaker and all those in attendance, charging them especially the youths “to extend the gains of the lecture towards creating a better society for the youth”.
Present at the occasion was Chief Dominic Ogakwu who served as Chairman of the Event, Amb. Splendour Agbonkpolor, Executive Director – Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria; Amb. Austin Peacemaker, Executive Director – Security Affairs; Comr. Danesi Month, National Coordinator – Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative; Hajia Zainab Sule, Coordinator- Rural Empowerment and Development Initiative; and Comr. Chris Ofomhi, Convener Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative as well as youth leaders and heads of CSOs from across the country.
