The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bola Tinubu, has promised to create a Presidential Fellowship Scheme to give youths the opportunity to experience and participate in government, if elected as Nigeria’s president.
Mr. Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, conveyed this when delivering her speech on Tinubu’s Women and Youth Empowerment plan at a symposium organized by the APC Professionals Forum in Abuja.
She said Tinubu’s administration will create mentorship and entrepreneurship programmes to train young people to be good leaders and business people.
Tinubu would also create low interest loans to help youths start up businesses, increasing opportunities and channels for easy access to credit to start businesses.
“The incoming administration will work with and encourage commercial banks to provide and set aside a quota of their projected credit provisioning for youth-led enterprises at appreciably low interest rate loans,” she said.
According to Mrs Tinubu, young people will be heard because a Youth Advisory Council will be set up to promote young people’s ideas and youth-related solutions to challenges.
“We will inaugurate a Youth Advisory Council to champion the perspective and pain-points of youths in the development of policies and solutions as it relates to the youths. We believe inclusion and communication make for seamless co-operation and collective progress,” she added.
Senator Tinubu further said that the National Youth Service Corps will be restructured to benefit the private sector and youths directly.
The Girl Child/ Women Inclusion
On the aspect of women, the wife of the APC presidential candidate said a Tinubu government will protect women and create a safe environment for the girl child to be educated and thrive.
“Socially, we will fight for and defend the dignity of our women as we did in Lagos state through the establishment of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
“We will encourage all states to institute same and combine it with the efforts of the Police Gender Units.
“We will create a safe environment via sponsored legislation to support and protect victims of domestic violence and abuse, establishment of online and offline counselling and whistleblowing platforms and the creation of safe sanctuaries nationwide.
“We will work proactively with the judiciary to ensure prompt prosecution of offenders, push for more stringent penalties for convicts and better equip our law enforcement agencies with necessary modern, forensic, and investigative tools.
“Socially as well, we will push for increased gender parity in education.
“We will ensure that the female child gets a fair chance at access to basic and post-basic education.
“We will promote nationwide support programs to ensure the girl child stays in school, is not exploited by circumstances, and is provided a safe environment, “ Senator Tinubu said.
According to Senator Tinubu, her husband will work with the National Assembly with the aim of getting 35% female representation at all levels of government, ministries, departments and agencies.
She said the APC presidential candidate will provide equal and inclusive opportunities for women to grow.
Senator Tinubu’s speech was delivered by a representative, the director-general of the National Women Development Centre, Mrs Valita Bashir.
The symposium also had participants speak on Tinubu’s agricultural and power plans for Nigeria.
Edited by Amaka E. Nliam
