By Kolawole Ojebisi
President Bola Tinubu has said his administration will accord prominence to the affairs of Nigerian youths in the grand scheme of governance.
The president said this on Tuesday in his early morning speech delivered to mark the country’s 64th Independence Anniversary.
Tinubu seized the opportunity of the momentous occasion to announce a 30-day national conference for Nigerian youths.
He noted that the conference has become essential to prove to the Nigerian youths, who have substantial population, that they are not just mere statistics and tools for politicians to achieve their goals.
The president stresssed the conference will afford young people the platform to air their views on the growing and diverse challenges they are facing and how to tackle them.
He explained that his administration will harness the youth’s boundless energy and intellect to formulate policies that will contribute to the transformation of the country and achievement of their dreams.
He said: “We lead today with the futurewe wish to bequeath to our children in focus, recognising that we cannot design a future that belongs to them without making them its architects.
“Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population.
“It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.
“The 30-day Confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives.
“Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations. The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”
He explained that his administration is already implementing several other youth-centric programmes to give young people an advantage in the rapidly changing world.
Tinubu added: “We are implementing, amongst others, the 3 million Technical Talents programme (3MTT) of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone.
“We have also enthusiastically implemented the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which provides cheap loans to our students to pursue their tertiary educational dreams. In addition, later this month, we shall launch The Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme.
“It is conceived as a comprehensive suite of interventions at job creation by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is aimed at facilitating the creation of 2.5 million jobs, directly and indirectly, on an annual incremental basis whilst simultaneously ensuring the welfare and safety of workers across the country.”
Recall that Nigeria gained independence from the British colonial masters on October 1st, 1960, following agitations for independence by leading Nigerian nationalists, including Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Mallam Aminu Kano, J.S. Tarka, Sir Udo Udoma, amongst others. Given that historic date when the Union Jack was lowered and Nigeria‘s national flag was hoisted on the night of October 1, 1960, successive governments and Nigerians have always celebrated and marked that date as the country’s national day.
The New Diplomat reports that this is the second independence day under the administration of Tinubu.
Tinubu’s address comes amid widespread dissatisfaction about economic issues, including soaring inflation and high cost of living.
