A delegation of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the apex Youth body in Nigeria, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), under the leadership of Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo on Wednesday had a roundtable discussion with the Hon. Minister of Budget and Economic planning – Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu CON.
The roundtable discussion centered on the possible ways the Nigerian Youth could benefit from the economic policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led federal government, while proffering plausible ideas on how the government can steer the economic ship of this beloved nation to a safe harbour.
Speaking at the roundtable discussion, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, the President of NYCN proffered several ideas on the best ways to accelerate the economic policies to ensure that the hardship experienced by Nigerians, especially the Youth, are ameliorated. These ideas include Youth empowerment, stabilization of the economy, and having an effective dialogue with the thousands of Nigerian Youth who are involved in the illegal oil bunkering activities in the Niger-Delta region.
Amb. Sukubo assured to lead the Federal government’s delegation to the creeks, where they can dialogue with the bunkerers. In his words, “I have already engaged about 4,000 Youth in discussion, who are involved in illegal oil bunkering, towards eradicating the menace of oil bunkering which causes unquantifiable economic sabotage to our beloved nation. These young Nigerians involved in the illegal oil bunkering are ready to quit the unpatriotic venture, if they are given listening ears and sense of belonging. They are Youth, and because I am the Youth President, I know how best to talk to them and they will listen to me. I am ready to lead the government’s delegation to the creeks where they are and we dialogue with them. This will save our beloved nation enormous wealth being sabotaged via illegal bunkering. This is a task NYCN has taken up as a way of contributing our quota towards stabilizing the economy of our nation and ameliorating the hardship experienced by our Youth”.
Amb. Sukubo equally beckoned on the Hon. Minister of Budget and Economic planning to ensure that the welfare and empowerment of the Nigerian Youth are captured in the national budget and economic policies. He said, “Sir, when the national budget is being planned, the welfare of Nigerian Youth should be prioritized”.
In his speech, the National Deputy Secretary General of NYCN, Comrade Rikki Nwajiofor, asserted that “the Nigerian Youth are angry because they feel that the federal government is not doing enough to improve our standard of living while hunger and hardship thrive in the country”. He, however, stated that “this anger is as a result of the communication gap between the government and the Youth Constituency”. According to him, “the good economic policies of the federal government, and the steps the government is taking to ensure that the economy of Nigeria gets stabilized, are not communicated to the Youth at the grassroots in the language they will understand”.
Comrade Rikki Nwajiofor further advocated for a synergy between the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Nigerian Youth under the auspices of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) so as to ensure that the Nigerian Youth are carried along.
In his response, the Honorable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu CON, welcomed the leadership of the NYCN as led by Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo. He assured the Nigerian Youth that “the Ministry prioritizes the welfare and empowerment of the Youth more than any other demographic”. According to him, a large percentage of this year’s budget, though scattered in various Ministries and Agencies of the government, is centered on the welfare and empowerment of the Nigerian Youth.
Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu advised the Nigerian Youth not to allow anyone or any other country to define Nigeria for them. In his words, “be proud of your country, don’t let somebody define your country for you, please define it for yourself”. According to him, Nigerian Youth should take the bull by the horn and define this country as the “country sits on acres of diamond, which can only be harnessed by the vitality and strength of the Nigerian Youth”. He equally advised the Youth to delve into Agriculture and Aquaculture. In his words, “the Niger-Delta Youth can delve into shrimp farming, which can be exported outside Nigeria on a large scale. This is a goldmine; Agriculture is a goldmine waiting to be tapped”.
The Hon. Minister pleaded with the Nigerian Youth not to be angry but communicate their concerns to the government “so as to, together as a society, make wiser choices” that can encourage, empower and liberate the Youth.
