Youths,Vital To Nigeria’s Democracy – Minister

The Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, on Tuesday, called for more investment on the development of the Nigerian youth to strengthen the nation’s nascent democracy.?

Abdulkadir made the call at the 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja.?

The minister said the youth constituted a major part of the nation’s population, and described them as “future leaders and the nation’s most valuable asset”.

He said that investment on the upbringing of young people would be essential in terms of promoting the nation’s democratic growth.

“Youths are characterised by energy; they represent the most active, the most volatile and yet the most vulnerable segment of the nation’s population.

“Nigeria is endowed with a population of young people, which is a very great asset and it highlights the importance of investing in them.”

He said that the ministry planned to establish a policy aimed at empowering the youth and also protecting their interests.

He said that plans were underway by the ministry to come up with more skills acquisition programmes, to empower young people across the six geo-political zones of the country.

Abdulkadir identified the training of youths across the six geo-political zones of the country by the ministry through the agricultural empowerment programmes, as its major achievement in past one year.

“These activities and programmes of the ministry are tailored largely as a model for all the three tiers of governments and other stakeholders, concerned with youth development. Through the MDG subverted youths in agricultural programme; the ministry in order to enhance this capacity building in agriculture, 630 youths were trained in the geo-political zones and were given N2, 000 grants each.

“667 youths were trained in modern integrated farming techniques, agriculture empowerment programmes were used in Zamfara, this is another model. Where the provided training in agro-allied techniques, for 279 youths and empowered them with materials and funds.’’

He said that the ministry had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation, an NGO, to provide grants worth N3 billion to participants in the empowerment programme.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, urged Nigerian youths to embrace the ministry’s empowerment initiative to achieve meaningful development.

According to him, the landmark achievements witnessed in the ministry shows the value being placed on growth of the Nigerian youth by the Federal Government.

Maku said: “The success in the ministry will determine how far Nigeria will go, in terms of future democracy.’’

He, therefore, advised young people to engage in meaningful ventures, such as youth empowerment programmes, to ensure better future for themselves.