13th May, 2019
Mr Olusade Adesola , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, on Monday called on stakeholders to contribute to efforts to address unemployment in Nigeria.
Adesola made the call when he received an Award of Excellence on Youth Development from Arewa Youth Consultative Council (AYCC) in Abuja.
He said that addressing unemployment was not a single sector affair but involved government at different levels and the private sector.
According to him, addressing unemployment is not a single strategy approach, it is multi-sectoral. So we must all contribute to support the effort of the Federal Government.
” Therefore, everyone should play their own part while the Federal Government is doing its own part,” he said.
Adesola commended AYCC for recognising the ministry’s efforts to address the cause of youths in Nigeria and added that the ministry had been trying to address unemployment through skill acquisition.
”We try to address issues of unemployment by training and empowering over 1,000 youths, some of them were trained within and outside Nigeria.
” Early this year, we contextualised the programme in the ministry to build thecapacities of Nigerian youth in tailoring and fashion design.
” These little efforts are really impacting on youths. With the efforts we are making, we believe that those that may not succeed in getting white collar job should not see it as the end of life.
” There are credible employment opportunities in the skills area, so the ministry has continued to promote skills as a means of addressing unemployment, he said.
Adesola said that the ministry was also promoting sports as a veritable source of employment considering the potential in the sector.
Making the presentation, the President of AYCC, Mr Abdulazeez Ismaila, said award was in recognition of Adesola’s contribution to youth development.
”With the help of the ministry, you have empowered a lot of youth and this is the major reason we came to identify with you.
” We want you to know that all these things you are doing , many people are watching and seeing.
” We want you to also know that AYCC as a youth organisation wants to emulate you and tap from your fountain of knowledge,” Ismaila said.
He called on the Federal Government to find lasting solution insecurity and unemployment.