Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande has lamented that most private firms now prefer to employ foreigners to work for them because Nigerian youths lack the skills to work in their firms.
In a statement signed by Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the Ministry, Maryam Umar Yusuf, he expressed this displeasure in Abuja today when the leadership of the National Youth Leaders forum of all political parties in Nigeria led by the chairman of the forum ambassador Muhammed Awwal Musa paid him a courtesy visit.
He encouraged the Nigerian youths to rise up and learn a skill that would qualify them to be marketable and employable.
He said it was time to kick start a “One Youth, Two skills” campaign to empower the Nigerian youths.
“Let’s come out with this campaign that it is unacceptable and an injustice for a youth in this country not to have a skill, and it is going to be a project that everyone must key into,” he said.
Olawande reeled out his plans for the Youths, saying that he would engage the Inspector General of Police to avoid a recurrence of End SARS protest in 2020 which was in reaction to police brutality of the youth, a situation which he noted was still on.
He plans to establish a Nigeria Youth Academy, where youths will be trained, engagement with Borno youths, establishment of Nigerian Youth radio and television, organisation of Nigerian Youth job fair, engagement with Nigerian youths in diaspora and youth startups as well as Nigerian Youth conference where Youths who have made a major impact in their carrier will be given recognition and required to encourage others to emulate them.
Olawande urged all Nigerian youths to rally together to fix the nation, as the country belongs to them.
On his part, Chairman National Youth Leaders Forum of all political parties in Nigeria, Amb. Mohammed Awwal Musa who commended the Youth minister over his plans to empower the Youths noted that the forum had agreed to work with the present government irrespective of their political differences.
Speaking also, the Chairman, Young Parliamentarians in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ishaya David Lalu, appreciated the Minister’s for his open door policy, hence, reminded the minister that he can not afford to fail, as uniting the Nigerian youth was one task that must be done.
