20th September, 2019
How to engage Nigerian youths in gainful employment was the top issue at the presentation of a book entitled “The Bisi Akande Phenomenon: Governance, Economy and Politics” held at the University of Lagos, Akoka on Thursday.
While Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said his administration was using agriculture to address youth unemployment, Minister for Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare spoke on the need to involve youths in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in sports in order to groom them for sporting activities at an early stage.
The book, which was co-edited by Dr Dhikrullah Yagboyaju and Prof. Lai Olurode, was written in honour of former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande.
Akeredolu said unemployment was a fundamental problem among the youths and urged government at all levels to create jobs for the teeming young population.
“In Ondo State, our focus is to use agriculture as means of getting the youths employed.
“We are bringing in Agricpreneurs because there are many factories like rice mills, ethanol factories that need cassava, so, we need youths to work in our farms.
“By keeping them occupied, we are less likely to have a lot of youths roaming the streets,” he said.
Dare said successful Nigerian sports men and women were capable of boosting the image of the country.
“We went to Morocco and Nigeria came second in the competition; 75 per cent of the winners were youths, the media should celebrate them because they are our ambassadors.
“Our reward system, welfare system in sport must be improved to encourage the participation of more youths in sport.
“There is need for a national sport fund that would take care of health insurance for sports men and women and also to help in facilitating their training,” he said.
He noted that sport was now a big business and there was need to build a model in sport that would engage millions of youths in the value chain.