Youths remain our priority — FG

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to supporting and empowering more Nigerian youths to excel in their chosen vocations.

According to it, the administration holds Nigerian youths in high esteem, and its commitment is evident in the appointments and the administration’s initiatives such as the Youth Investment Fund, iDICE Programme, and the National Youth Development Bank, among others.

Vice President Kashim Shettima spoke on Friday when he received the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) youth wing, led by the party’s National Youth Leader, Mr. Dayo Israel, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senator Shettima said that apart from addressing genuine concerns affecting the youths, the administration’s focus on young persons is premised on the trust and confidence the President has in them, stressing that “the youths are the lifeblood of any nation, and Mr. President acknowledges this fact.”

“I want to assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the best interests of the youths at heart, and he has demonstrated this in most of the programmes that this administration is doing and has undertaken to do,” he added.

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Shettima further expressed confidence in the ability of the present administration to address all of the concerns raised across different quarters and appealed for more time for the government’s plans and programmes to begin to manifest.

He commended the leadership of the APC youth wing for their steadfastness, commitment, and patience, assuring that all the group’s requests would be addressed in due course.

Earlier in his remarks, the National Youth Leader of the APC thanked the Vice President for his love and commitment to the affairs of young people in the country.

He said the visit was to express solidarity with the government and inform the administration of the body’s programmes aimed at productively engaging youths in the country regardless of their socio-political background.

According to him, the APC Youth Wing has developed a 4-year strategic plan designed to, among other things, help young Nigerians understand and overcome challenges and harness opportunities across diverse fields within and outside the country.

He listed the Enterprise-Skills Development Training (EDET) Programme; Workplace Readiness & Employability Skills Training Programme (WREST-P); the Progressive Youth Exchange Programme; and the Progressive Youth Leadership Summit, among others, as some of the initiatives underway by the body to engage youths across the country.

Mr. Israel also requested the presence of the Vice President at the forthcoming Progressive Youth Leadership Summit with the theme, “Shaping the Future We Want: Restiveness, Inclusion, Development, Action.”

Also present at the meeting with the Vice President were the APC Deputy National Youth Leader, Jamalu Kabiru; South East Zonal Youth Leader, Anyalewechi Ikenna; North East Zonal Youth Leader, Jason Baba Kwaghe; South-South Zonal Youth Leader, Oyas Ebimobowe; North-Central Zonal Youth Leader, Zubair Aliyu; South-West Zonal Youth Leader, Kolade Lawal Paff; and Head of Admin, APC National Youth Wing, Amaka Lawrence.