The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande has pleaded with Nigerian youth to be patient and utilise all channels of engaging with government to table their demands yet to be met instead of the planned August 1st protest.
He said: “Doors to my office are opened at all times to receive your complaints, grievances, and suggestions. Protest in the long-run will muddle up issues and it would not advance your cause.
“There are many ways we can register our displeasure as youth to the government. Protest that has the potential to snowball into destruction is not an option. We have our whole future ahead of us. Hence, anything that hurts Nigeria affects us more than anyone else.”
Addressing newsmen in his office in Abuja weekend, he reiterated that major interventions of his ministry have been guided by the yearnings and agitations of the youth.
He highlighted various youth-focused initiatives of the federal government which he said include, young and secure initiative, a campaign aimed at ensuring that the issue which led to the 2020 #EndSars protest do not re-occur.
He also mentioned the “Youth Desk” which offers a platform for young Nigerians to table their complaints and concerns in a coordinated manner.
The minister said: “Personally, I believe we need to work to bring the government closer to the youth to make it easier for them to feel and experience the impact of government. This is the reason I have priotised an apolitical engagement, by visiting more than 13 states so far.
“I am aware that a major challenge for our generation is unemployment, worsened by the kind of mismatch that exists between the skills majority of us possess and those that employers in today’s labour market require. Hence, we initiated the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA) to up skill the youth and connect them to employers.
“For the youth who have opted for self employment, the government has made preparations to fully support their aspirations through the NYIF. Also, through the grants and cash transfers, President Tinubu has provided N50 billion as grants of N50,000 each to 1,300 small businesses in all the 774 local government areas.
“There is also the Consumer Credit Scheme initiated by the president to enable Nigerians have access to goods and services, with payment spread over time in order to make life easier for all and sundry.
“In the political sphere, the president has opened up the political space like never before, appointing arguably the largest number of young people to top positions in government, while also delivering local governments autonomy to democratise political participation at the grassroots level. Yet, these are only some of the over 34 key interventions the president has made so far.”