The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, has urged Nigerian youth to rally together to fix the nation, stressing that the “country belongs to you.”
Olawande made the call Friday in Abuja when the leadership of the National Youth Leaders Forum of all political parties in Nigeria led by its chairman, Muhammed Awwal Musa, paid him a courtesy visit.
In a release signed by the head of press and public relations, Mrs. Maryam Umar Yusuf, the minister said “it is time to kick-start a youth campaign with the theme, One Youth, Two Skills.”
“Let’s come out with this campaign that it is unacceptable and an injustice for a youth in this country not to have a skill, and it is going to be a project that everyone must key into.”
He lamented that the majority of the youth in the country were not skillful, which had given room for foreigners to take up jobs that Nigerians would have taken in private companies in the country.
Speaking on his planned programmes for the youth, he disclosed that “these will include engagement with the Inspector General of Police to avoid a recurrence of EndSARS’ protests in 2020 which was in reaction to police brutality of the youth.”
“The establishment of Nigeria Youth Academy, where youths will be trained; engagement with Borno youths; establishment of Nigerian Youth Radio and Television; organisation of Nigerian Youth Job Fair; engagement with Nigerian youths in the Diaspora and Youth Start-ups as well as Nigerian Youth Conference where youths who have made major impacts in their careers will be given recognition and required to encourage others to emulate them.”
Earlier, in his remarks, Musa lauded the minister’s commitment to the progress of Nigerian youths.
Also speaking, the chairman, Young Parliamentarians in the House of Representatives, Ishaya David Lalu, appreciated the minister’s open-door policy, “which demonstrates that he is ready to work.”
