Ahead of the 2027 general elections, a member of the National Assembly and senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, has called for a shift from cash handouts to sustainable investments in youth development and digital skills.

Odidiomo said government and political leaders should prioritise equipping young people with relevant technological skills to enable them to participate effectively in the modern economy.

He spoke at the Oyo State 2026 Youth Stakeholders’ Engagement and Interactive Forum with registered youth organisations, held at the Local Government Training Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The forum brought together youth stakeholders from across the state to discuss youth development, technology, employment and political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Odidiomo said the growing importance of technology across virtually every sector of the economy made it imperative for Oyo State to bridge the digital divide separating young people from emerging opportunities.

According to him, the challenge is no longer simply to encourage the youth to seek employment but to equip them with digital competencies that can enable them to become employers, innovators and active participants in the global digital economy.

“Technology is the new currency,” he said, stressing that access to digital knowledge and tools could determine whether young Nigerians become beneficiaries or victims of the changing economic environment.

He called for sustained investment in digital education, entrepreneurship and innovation, saying such investments were critical to preparing youths for the future.

The APM candidate also said his party was prepared to establish what he described as a new political pact with the youth of Oyo State, assuring them that young people would remain central to its development agenda.

“APM is here to make a pact with the youth of Oyo State,” he said.

Odidiomo said youth development should not be treated as an afterthought or limited to occasional interventions, arguing that political leadership must create sustainable opportunities through policies and programmes that enable young people to acquire skills, access technology and compete in the digital economy.

Speaking from his experience as a federal legislator, he said his interventions had consistently focused on youth empowerment, particularly digital empowerment.

He disclosed that he had empowered more than 2,000 young people with laptops, while another 2,000-plus beneficiaries had received training in various digital skills and cash support over the past seven years.

According to him, the objective was not merely to distribute equipment or provide  financial relief, but to give young people the tools needed to build sustainable livelihoods in the digital economy.

He said access to laptops, digital training and financial support could open opportunities in freelancing, technology-based entrepreneurship, remote employment and other areas beyond the traditional job market.

Odidiomo also criticised what he described as the conventional practice of distributing money without creating sustainable pathways to economic independence.

“While others are busy sharing money in the market, I am empowering the future of our youth to prepare them for a better tomorrow,” he said.

He argued that responsible representation should be measured by the ability of elected officials to invest in people and create opportunities that would outlive political seasons.