Ministry to engage commissioners on youth development

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Youth Development, said it would host commissioners from all the states and the FCT to discuss youth development.

The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, stated this on Monday in Abuja at an interactive session with the media.

“By next month (December), we are going to have a council meeting whereby the commissioners, the directors from the states will come together to have a chat for work.

“We want to ask ourselves the questions and then offer solution together,” Olawande said.

According to him, any good suggestion will be implemented saying “enough of roadmap”.

On the National Youth Investment Fund, he said it would be redesigned to ensure that everyone registered for it.

He said that the ministry would transform it’s policies for better results, noting that the website would soon be made public for people to access information on various initiatives.

Olawande appreciated President Bola Tinubu for appointing a youth as a minister.

The minister appealled to the media to collaborate with the ministry to ensure that youth issues are properly addressed.

“We are running an open-door policy which any media person can come to clarify any information that bothers on youths.

“It is time to work together to make sure that we make this a reality. It is time to renew the hope not by paper but by action.

“Tinubu has given the platform to us and we are ready for things to happen,” he said.

Olawande said that they would ensure that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Citizenship and Leadership Training Center (CLTC) achieve their objectives.

“For the NYSC, we will make sure that corps members are posted to where they can practice what they learnt and the
CLTC will be properly utilisied, especially that it deals with leadership training,” he added.

According to him, the Federal Government is working to create the enabling environment, so that young people can easily get jobs.

“Everybody cannot be a civil servant, will not be employed into a company, but can start something.

“We are now exploring the agriculture sector, sports, entertainment and information communications technology (ICT).

“We are collaborating with all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) to ensure that youths achieve their goals.

“We should be known as capacity-building ministry, We will hunt for the talent. We will go and beg. We will plead to those that have it,” he said.