By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
As the Nigerian government seeks long and short term solutions to the miraids of problems bedeviling the country, Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, has assured Nigerian youths that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is committed to involving them in all levels of governance.
The President who the revelation at the grand finale of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Port Harcourt, emphasized that youth inclusion in governance is a cornerstone of the current administration.
Represented by his Technical Adviser on Women and Youth Engagement, Hauwa Liman, the Vice President highlighted that the Tinubu administration is the first to offer extensive opportunities to the nation’s youth, underscoring the administration’s strong belief in the aspirations of Nigerian youths.
He said: “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assembled some of the finest young people in the country to form the backbone of his government and this is based on his conviction that you cannot plan for the future without the young ones at the decision making table . So youth inclusion to us is not just a promise, it is the cornerstone of our administration’s vision for Nigeria.
“From the outset, we have worked to ensure that young Nigerians are not only seen and heard but also have the power and included at every level of governance”.
“Today, we stand as a government that has opened doors for young people like never before. Many of our ministers are your peers.
“Your inclusion is more than a presentation. It is about creating opportunities that translates into real change. This administration has prioritised initiatives that empowers young people to excel in education, entrepreneurship and the creative and data industry.
“We have launched the transformative programme like the Presidential Initiative for Youths Enterprise Clusters backed by N110bn Naira to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology and industry. The Youths Investment Fund continue to provide critical financial support for start-ups and small businesses and ensuring that young Nigerians can turn their ideas into thriving ventures.
“In the digital and creative sector where our youths have already proven their global competitiveness, we have rolled out a $618m United Dollars initiative designed to support tech and creative enterprises,” Shettima added.
He stated that, to reinforce these commitments, the government is working on establishing a National Youth Development Bank and a youth data bank to provide young Nigerians with the resources, information, and opportunities they need to succeed.
Shettima also highlighted the National Education Fund and the student loan scheme as additional government initiatives aimed at securing the future of Nigerian youths.
The Vice President further encouraged the nation’s youth to take full advantage of the many opportunities available to improve their lives and contribute to the country’s progress.
“Dear young Nigerians, the opportunity before you are vast, you are part of a generation that has the tools, skills and platforms to transform not only Nigeria but the world.
“The digital economy and the creative space are yours to dominate. This administration is committed to providing you with the resources and support needed to succeed.
“As we celebrate this milestone, I challenge you to cease this moment, embrace innovation, creativity and hardwork. Let your generation be the one that transformed Nigeria into a beacon of democracy, development and progress. Your voices are heard, your contributions are valued and your future is being shaped by the decisions you influence today,” he said.
In his speech at the event, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Chief of Staff of the Government House, Ehie Edison, expressed that his administration is deeply focused on youth development. He emphasized that this is why many young people have been given the opportunity to hold leadership positions.
He pointed out that in Rivers State, the majority of local council chairmen, their deputies, and councillors are youths, with three of them being members of the NYCN.
“This government is surrounded by youths who are very resourceful and are contributing immensely to governance, development of the state. We have commissioners who are youth ambassadors, large percentage of executive chairmen and vice chairmen are youths in their primes. Councillors are youths and this goes a long way to show that the governor is very very youth friendly,” he said.
Ehie, stated further that the governor is investing in programmes and policies that intends to showcase the raw talents of Rivers youths and to empower them meaningfully, adding that across various tertiary institutions, there are scholarships for deserving youths who are hardworking currently ongoing and sponsored by Rivers State Government.
While congratulating the National Executives on the celebration, he praised the National President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, for maintaining the legacy of the youth council.
Ehie also encouraged the youth to avoid negative behaviors and instead focus on positive actions while engaging with the government at all levels.
“I want to call on the NYCN to continually engage peacefully with governments at all levels, multinationals, Nationally Assembly to propose youth-friendly legislations and for the multinational companies to engage our youths and also for government to propose programmes that would benefit the youths while also advocating for our youths to desist from crimes, criminality and tap into the skill acquisition opportunities which is the in-thing today across the country,” Ehie stated.
Earlier, the National President of NYCN, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, expressed gratitude to the Rivers State Government for hosting Nigerian youths during their 60th anniversary celebration.
He highlighted that for six decades, the Council has been actively involved in shaping the future of Nigerian youths through positive initiatives.
Sukubo took the opportunity to urge government officials at all levels to implement policies that will improve the country’s situation and alleviate the current hardships being faced.
The youth leader also encouraged Nigerian youths to acquire skills and not solely depend on white-collar jobs, which are not easily accessible in the country.
“I charge Nigerian youths to look beyond what they call white-collar jobs and focus on skills and we should grow in technology to impact on the society. We should not wait anymore for government.
“We should look for how to also support the federal government and our state governors to see how to reduce insecurity and also support our National Assembly to make laws that can create employment opportunities for young people and also to enact policies that can grow our economy.
“We are also appealing to the Federal Government to make policies that can accelerate economic growth in our dear country,” Sukubo said.
