The Kwara state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday said that the high unemployment rate in the country informed the state government emphasis on vocational and entrepreneurship development in the state.
The Governor made this known through the Kwara state Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Aro Yahaya over the weekend at an Economic Summit organized by the Kwara South Consultative Forum at Omu-Aran, Irepodun local government area, Kwara State with the theme “Youth Economic Revolution: Operation Bootstrap”, by the Kwara South Consultative Forum at Omu-Aran, Irepodun local government area, Kwara State,
Speaking through the commissioner, Governor Ahmed Adulfatah said “We believe that job creation all over the world is done through entrepreneurship. I assume all youths in the state especially Kwara South that my administration places high premium on vocational training and entrepreneurship. This will promote socio-economic development in the state. We have put in place various strategies and programs to enable our youths take their place in today’s competitive world,”
Meanwhile the Managing Director, Infrastructure Bank, Chief Adekunle Oyinloye who was ably represented at the summit by Prince Ayo Abegunde however identified high dependence on mono-product economy as the major problem affecting Nigeria economy, noted that the fall in the prices of crude oil aggravated the situation.
Abegunde in his speech noted and counseled the Muhammadu Buhari led federal government of Nigeria to begin to actualize its own version of the agricultural and industrial revolutions to increase productivity, create jobs and deliver better quality lives for the growing population.
While delivering his speech Abegunde said “Nigeria certainly is at an economic crossroads. The recent economic recession, largely brought about by the fall in crude oil prices has highlighted the need for Nigeria to diversify its economic base and quickly transit away from the current state of being a mono-product economy. Economic revolutions typically leverage available resources, and so this brings into focus other non-oil resources that can support a potential revolution, one of which is the country’s large and youthful population.
According to Abegunde, an analysis of Nigeria’s demographic profile shows that about 43 percent of its population is below the age of 15 and about 62 percent is below the age of 25 percent.
The Chairman of the Forum, Chief Aderibigbe who hinted the summit aims at preventing the looming disaster which stares our future generation in the face about their prospect and hope in the future said the Youth Economic Forum was organized to enable youths to discover themselves, know about their environment and be self-reliant.
