The federal government is to collaborate with the Nigerian Youth Economic Engagement and De-Radicalization Programme (NIYEEDEP), to address youth unemployment, poverty, and their related impacts on restiveness, radicalisation, and insecurity by creating jobs for 12 million youth as farmers and food entrepreneurs.
The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, announced this Wednesday at a press conference when he hosted NIYEEDEP, led by the coordinator, Kennedy Iyere, at his office in Abuja.
Comrade Olawande stated that the initiative is aimed at providing Nigerian youth the enabling economic platform and empowerment opportunities needed to become creators of their own jobs and to also transform themselves into change agents and catalysts for nation-building, wealth creation, poverty alleviation, crime reduction, social transformation and economy development.
The minister stated, “The initiative will focus on some strategic economic engagement areas such as, Youth Farmers’ Cooperative Scheme, Food4All Initiative, Arts4Money Project, Tech4Jobs Scheme, Waste2Wealth Project, Youths4Wealth Scheme, Youths4Charity Outreach, Youths4Peace Initiative and Skills2Job Initiative.
In a press statement by the director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Omorala Esan said the minister said the initiative is intended to be achieved through the creation and management of national grassroots business clusters and cooperatives, integrating value-chain investment and engaging youth in agri-food entrepreneurship.
Comrade Kennedy Iyere, the coordinator of NIYEEDEP, expressed his appreciation to the minister for his tireless efforts in promoting initiatives that foster economic development.
