President Tinubu Firmly Committed To Youth Empowerment – VP Shettima

*** As NYCN invites VP to unveil 60th anniversary

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has restated the commitment of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to supporting Nigerian youths to reach their potentials and contribute to the growth and development of the country.

VP Shettima stated this in his remarks when he received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, the National Executive Council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), led by its President, Comrade Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo.

This is just as the NYCN is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November 2024.

Commending the Council for its support of the programmes and activities of the Tinubu administration, VP Shettima said, “We cannot thank you enough for keeping the hope alive for the Nigerian youth. We identify with you; we empathize with you because the future of this nation belongs to you.

“We are one of the youngest nations on the planet and the youths constitute nearly 75% of our population. Once we engage the youths, once we give them hope for a better tomorrow, all the madness pervading this land will dissipate.

“60 years for an organization to remain vibrant and still standing on its feet deserves commendation. I want to thank you for believing in the Nigeria Project. A lot of members of your generation have left the country but you resolved to stay on, and together we are going to salvage the ship of this state,” he added.

On plans of the Tinubu administration for young Nigerians, the Vice President noted that President Tinubu created a ministry for the youth under the current dispensation and appointed two young people to head the ministry, while he (VP) has complemented this by appointing a lot of young persons into key positions in his office.

Assuring the NYCN delegation that the administration is aligned with their aspirations, Senator Shettima said, “We hold you in the highest esteem. We have a series of opportunities lined up for you such as the iDICE project that will create digital jobs, including the ones in the creative industry. So, let’s hope for the best, let’s believe in Nigeria because this is our country.”

Earlier, the National President of NYCN, Comrade Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, expressed the Council’s readiness to collaborate with the federal government in addressing the issue of illegal oil bunkering.

“We have decided to see how we can help this country in areas of oil theft that have been ravaging this nation,” Sukubo stated, adding that “the NYCN has decided that it’s a collective effort, and we are ready to partner with the government to address this illegality.”

Sukubo announced that the NYCN which was established on August 28, 1964, in Lagos is gearing up to commemorate its 60th anniversary this year.

On behalf of the Council, he extended an invitation to the Vice President to officially unveil the anniversary events, which are expected to draw participants from across the country.

“This year, we are celebrating our 60th anniversary, and we want you to officially unveil the anniversary events. The event will have nothing less than 100,000 participants across the country, and that is the day we want to give insight into the activities of this government,” Sukubo said.

Acknowledging the administration’s efforts in appointing a significant number of young people to government positions, the NYCN delegation also appealed to the federal government to construct a Youth House.

Also speaking, Comrade Rikki Nwajiofor, the National Deputy Secretary General of the NYCN, highlighted the council’s role as the apex youth body representing all youth organizations in Nigeria as stipulated in the National Youth Policy.

“NYCN is made up of 104 affiliate member youth organizations, a 27-member national executive council, 36 state chapters, and an FCT chapter, as well as 774 coordinators in all local government and area councils in Nigeria. That is why the NYCN is the vehicle through which the government passes its policies to the grassroots,” Nwajiofor explained.

President Tinubu Firmly Committed To Youth Empowerment – VP Shettima