Yuguda urges Nigerians abroad to enrol in ‘YouWin’ initiatives

 THE Federal Government has urged young Nigerians in the Diaspora to enroll in the Government’s youth enterprise promotion initiatives as a means of deepening the administration’s job creation efforts.

 The Minister of State for Finance,  Bashir Yuguda who stated this while speaking in Dubai at a town hall meeting with Nigerians resident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) encouraged them to take advantage of

the Jonathan Administration’s many enterprise promotion services designed to nurture and fund the viable initiatives of Nigeria’s young entrepreneurs.

 A statement by the Minister’s Communications Assistant, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze  said Mallam Yuguda also assured them that the Government was working hard to tackle the challenge of youth unemployment in the country beyond creating the enabling atmosphere to encourage investments, adding that  the Jonathan Administration had initiated successful programmes for direct job creation.

The Minister who was Nigeria’s immediate past ambassador to the UAE said: “We see all of you who are based abroad as worthy partners in the business of developing our country. We know you are learning from

the experience of your host nations. You are witnesses to what their youths are doing in terms of enterprise development.   “This is part of the reason why the Jonathan Administration had designed various job creation initiatives especially the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment programme (SURE-P) which has so far created thousands of job opportunities for youths across the country with people like you in mind.”

Speaking further, Yuguda said: “The enrolment process of  YouWin  is online. You don’t have to come home to file your initial application. We believe some of you may have some wonderful business ideas and proposals that require funding to come to fruition. Once you scale through the very transparent assessment process, the Government would be willing to provide the funds to help you establish and employ other Nigerians.”

The Minister reminded them that YouWin had already nurtured over 2,400 young entrepreneurs with over 22,000 jobs created in the first two rounds, while additional two rounds envisioned.  According to Yuguda, the Government had also launched a $50 million Venture Capital Fund accessible by YouWin beneficiaries and other viable small and medium enterprises ( SMEs).

Yuguda told the audience that the Jonathan Administration has recorded substantial economic progress within a short time through successful reforms in many sectors including finance, agriculture, power, transportation and general infrastructural development as well as economic diversification accentuated by recent GDP rebasing. He assured them further that President Jonathan’s commitment to good governance has deepened the democratic process by ensuring free and fair elections, adding that the 2015 general elections would hold as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Former Anambra State  Governor Peter Obi who was also at the event commended the people for being Nigeria’s good ambassadors and urged them to bring home lessons of Dubai’s rapid development and spirit of hardwork. The Consul-General of Nigerian Mission in Dubai Ambassador Mike Omotosho commended the Jonathan Administration for lessening the

burden of Nigerians in the UAE by opening the mission to handle their consular needs. In conveying the feelings of Nigerians in country, the diplomat urged the Government to make it possible for Nigerians Diaspora to vote by conducting elections in foreign missions.