Minister Urges Youths to Embrace FG’s Interventions in Communities to Boost Economic Growth

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

 Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio, at the weekend  tasked  youths in the country to take advantage of federal government numerous interventions in the various communities towards advancing the socio economic development of the country. 

Speaking in Ilorin,  Kwara state capital shortly after her visit to  comprehensive Needs Assessment of  communities in Edu and Baruten local government areas of the  State, Dr. Bio however  stated that, the importance of community development cannot be over emphasised in youth development and  nation’s building. 

Some of these interventions include the Presidential Initiative on Youth Enterprise Cluster (PIYEC), Youth Development Bank, Youth Development Centres, Nigerian Education Loan Fund, SMEDAN’s National Skills Business Initiative, ITF Skill Up Artisan programme, 3MTT programme, and the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), which is focused on empowering young entrepreneurs and innovators.

Also, among the communities visited  by  the minister include Lafiagi, Tsaragi, and Shonga in Edu local government, and Ilesha Baruba, Kosubosu, Okuta-Baruten and Yashikira in Baruten local government area.

The Minister also recently assigned by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to lead a delegation of the Nigeria Hydro-Electric Power Producing Area Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) to commission two new projects and carryout Needs Assessment of expanded communities captured under the Commission’s intervention areas.

Bio said the exercise was part of the federal government’s broader strategy to assess and address the development needs of rural communities across the country. 

She added,  “This is to ensure that the dividends of democracy reach nooks and crannies of the country, and to ensure that the impacts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership is felt at the grassroots”.

According to the minister, “community development is not just a pathway to improving infrastructure and services but a cornerstone for empowering young people to become active participants in nation-building”.

At each of these communities, she engaged with their traditional rulers, who highlighted their infrastructural needs. 

The royal fathers also commended the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and urged lawmakers from Kwara North to support and work with them to facilitate more development in the region. 

In her response, the minister promised increased federal government interventions for the communities especially in the areas of youth empowerment, and critical infrastructure upgrade by appropriate agencies and ministries of government.

During her interactions with the youth of some of the visited communities, Bio highlighted the various initiatives of the Tinubu’s administration aimed at empowering young Nigerians, urging them to maximize these opportunities to foster youth enterprise at the grassroots.

She said: “President Tinubu is a youth-friendly leader and in line with his commitment to youth development, the federal government has launched different key interventions for the youth.”

She noted, “I encourage you all to take advantage of these interventions, particularly the Agric cluster of the NYIF programme to transform your business ideas and contribute to national development. 

“Our administration is dedicated to creating an enabling environment for our youth to thrive and we will continue to implement programmes that enhance youth development.”

She also canvassed partnership and support for government from all stakeholders especially traditional rulers, youth groups, and development partners.

While commissioning the newly built classrooms by N-HYPPADEC at BLGEA Primary School Makarakpo, the minister also spoke on the significance of girl-child education, encouraging parents to send their children, especially girls, to school, using herself as a model.

 “If my parents hadn’t sent me to school, I wouldn’t have had the honour and privilege to become a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she maintained

The highlight of the minister’s visit to the Kwara North communities was the commissioning of a N613 million Erosion Control Drainage project in Patigi, Patigi local government, and new classrooms in BLGEA Primary School, Makarakpo, Baruten. Both projects were implemented by N-HYPPADEC. 

The Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, who was on the entourage of the youth minister, pledged that his Commission would implement more developmental projects in Kwara. 

He specifically mentioned, on site, that N-HYPPADEC would liaise with the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority to revitalize the Gure and Yashikira Dams that had been abandoned for years.