The coordinator of the Society for the Promotion of Ethical and Transparent Leadership SPET, Mr. Onyekachi Eze has reiterated the need to invest more in the capacity building of the young people for quality leadership and rapid development.
Mr. Ezeh who stated this in Lagos during a press conference organised by the group as part of the activities to mark this year’s African youth day wants the government at all levels to help make the environment more conducive for youths to thrive.
Mr. Eze said that the youth’s voices in Nigeria are not heard and that they have been always relegated to the background.
According to him, Nigerian youths are very hardworking and are ready to explore if given the opportunity, calling on the leaders in both government and non-governmental organisations to lead the way for young people in Nigeria and put them in the front burner of national issues.
”Nigerian youths are really doing well in the area of entertainment and agro business industries. Government should engage the youths more in those areas in order to get them out of their state of restiveness. The youths voices are not heard in the country, they have always been relegated to the background. I urge the government at all levels to see how they can include the youths more in the national sectors and assist them in the area of entrepreneurship and development,” he stated.
On his part, a lecturer and Chief Executive Officer, Jimshol Consultancy Services, Olujimi Jiboye expressed the need to engage the youths more in Art, Culture, Heritage, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to foster national unity saying that Nigerian youths are very enterprising especially when given the needed support and conducive environment.
”Before we say that Nigerian youths are lazy, you need to look at the environment in which the Nigerian youths are thriving. A lot of the youths have skills and innovations but nobody to sponsor them. We call on the government and corporate organisations to assist the youths in harnessing their potentials,” he added.
Highlights of the conference of the African Youth Day Celebration which has its theme “Building the African We Want in Art, Culture, Hentage, Innovation and Entrepreneurship” were the tributes in honour of the late Mohammed Fawehinmi who was the patron of the group.
Dominica Nwabufo
