Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has stated that the federal government will continue to support young Nigerians in order for them to reach their full potential.
This was stated by Osinbajo at the 2021 national gold award presentation ceremony held at the State House in Abuja by the International Award for Young People (IAYP).
The award ceremony, which took place on Thursday, is Nigeria’s equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award for Young People.
The vice-president praised the various ways in which young people contribute to the nation’s well-being, citing the example of “young Nigerians in our armed forces leaving behind family and friends to serve our country in various internal security operations across the country”.
“We have seen how young Nigerians rallied in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and designed various technology solutions to support the government,” Osinbajo said, according to a statement issued by Laolu Akande, his spokesperson, on Friday.
“We have seen Nigerian youths break new ground and earn global acclaim in innovation, technology, sports, the arts, and entertainment.
“Clearly, our young people are our most valuable assets, and the federal government believes that they must be encouraged and supported in every way.”
Speaking about interventions aimed at assisting Nigerian youths in various sectors, Osinbajo also discussed the government’s plans to raise $500 million to support the technology and creativity ecosystem.
According to him, the African Development Bank has committed $170 million to the project, which will also be supported by the Nigerian government, the Islamic Development Bank, and the French Development Agency.
He recalled that Buhari had launched the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme in 2021, which was supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union, and the private sector.
He stated that the program will last five years and will provide 20,000 young Nigerians with well-paid work experience opportunities in private and public sector organizations each year.
Recognizing the inventiveness of the awardees, he lauded the efforts of “Musab Muazu who engaged in educating out-of-school ‘almajiri’ children, inspiring them to seek education and assisting them to read and write.”
“Another recipient, Odikpo Emmanuel, having lost one of his friends to suicide, was involved in promoting advocacy against suicide and promoting mental health awareness among young people within his community through organising workshops, symposiums, and various advocacy programmes,” he added.
“A recipient, Faithwins Iwuh, for her Gold residential project, volunteered at the Renaissance Hospital in Enugu State having observed that the hospital was experiencing a shortage of staff. She had to reside in the hospital for a month volunteering as a health worker and support staff to the hospital.”
