ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Government has described vocational training and empowerment of youths as a deliberate effort to create wealth, alleviate poverty, and stamp restiveness out of the State.
The Delta State Deputy Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro stated this in his office in Asaba, when the Executive Chairperson of the African Youth Union Commission (AYUC), Dr Carl Oshodi and his Executive paid him a courtesy visit.
Barrister Otuaro stated that the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was aware that youths were the bedrock of any nation hence the need to give them a veritable platform to achieve their full potentials through acquisition of skills in different fields.
He stated that the YAGEP and STEP programs have yielded commendable results since their inception and enjoined more jobless youths to key into the schemes to be employable and self sufficient.
The Deputy Governor commended the AYUC chairperson on his election and swearing in as number one Youth Leader in Africa and urged him to be a good ambassador of the youths, the nation and the continent of Africa.
Barrister Otuaro challenged the youths to see themselves as ‘change agent’ and keep at bay anything capable of portraying them in bad light.
He stated that apart from the skills acquisition schemes, Government has used the Micro Credit Office to encourage more women and youths to go into farming which he affirmed had helped the young ones take the driver’s seat in food production.
The Deputy Governor assured the chairperson of Government’s partnership in the realisation of his dreams for the African youths.
Earlier, the Chairperson of AYUC, Dr Carl Oshodi lauded the Delta State Government for its lofty programmes that have affected their lives positively saying that many youths have been offered platforms to excel in their careers while others have been appointed into key positions.
Dr Oshodi who is the number one youth in Africa called on all governments in the continent to give priority attention to youths and women empowerment, child protection, education and infrastructure, social investment, entrepreneurship and food security.
He pledged to be a voice for the youths and appealed to the Delta and Edo State Governments to assist him to achieve all his set goals in his four year term.
The AYUC is a youth body representing the youth constituency in Africa with its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
