1 Year in Office: Wada Empowering Youths

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SINCE the inception of Captain Idris Wada as the executive governor of Kogi state his dream has been to tackle the issue of unemployment and youth restiveness with immediate effect.

Before he assumed office in January 2012, the rate of unemployment in the state was very high. Since ‘an idle hand’ as they say, ‘is the devils workshop’, it was only a question of time for the idle youths, to divert their energy to thuggery and other social vises in the state.

This was a big challenge before the Governor since the unemployed youths know no inhibitions, including violence to meet their daily need.

In order to find lasting solution to this, Wada ensured that the issue of thurggery among the youths in the state was taken care of by discouraging them from participating in any negative things that can tarnish the image of the state and that of his government.

Already, the SMEDAN  in partnership with Kogi state government had trained about 108 youths and women in Kogi state on Vocational and Enterprise Skills Training and Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme as well as the processes involved in the identification of business opportunities and ultimately setting up their own new businesses.

According to Director General SMEDAN, Alhaji Muhammed Nadada Umar, these young people will be nurtured, mentored and monitored as they progress along the path of profitability and sustainability.

Speaking recently on the occasion of the Small Business Opportunities Fair 2012 North Central Zone  held in Lokoja, Kogi state, the Director General of SMEDAN thanked Governor Idris Wada for agreeing to partner with SMEDAN towards hosting the events.

He noted at the event that considering the relevance of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sub-sector in the economic growth and development of Nigeria, the North- Central Zone and Kogi state in particular, will provide a wonderful platform for the development of MSMEs.

Today the people of the state are grateful to Governor, Captain Idris  Wada for putting in  place youth empowerment scheme across all the 21 local government councils called Youths Advancement Development for Kogi (YAD4KOGI)

The goal of getting youths off the street and address the menace of armed robbery, thurggery, terrorism and other negative vices in the state is being achieved through the introduction of the programme.

The Special Adviser on Youth and Women Development, Dr. Mrs. Temitope Sinkaiye whose office is in charge of the programme said all the participants are expected to work in their Local Government of origin through the supervisor of the YAD4Kogi Local Government Desk officers, and the zonal coordinators from her office.

According to her, the youths were camped at the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC camp Asayan, Kabba for two weeks.

During the orientation camp they embarked on activities such as jurgging, drilling and lectures.

They were taught on enterprenureship skills that will make them to be self reliant.

According to her the ADP Block Extension Supervisors (BESs) are specifically charged with the responsibility of overseeing the agro-entrepreneurial activities of the youths in all the Local Government Areas.

Today, about 1,500 young men and women have been employed and adequately equipped under the scheme to contribute to the socio-economic development of the state through the various trainings.

Already three sets of trainings have taken place within the period in and outside the state.

She said the public works training is for secondary school and primary school leavers and school drop outs to enable them carry out environmental sanitation in their various Local Government Areas.

This group is known as  YAD4Kogi volunteers, they dressed in their work uniform to show that they are committed to do the work.

This programme is for the core poor who were unable to afford higher level education and unskilled for the job market.

Already the programme is transforming lives in many local government areas in the state.

The second set is National Diploma Holders up to University graduates.

According to the Special Adviser her office is partnering with Kogi State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) for the implementation of the programme as the Agro-entrepreneurship training covered both managerial and technical components.

She noted that the ADP facilitated the technical training and also providing extension/advisory services to youths stressing that each of the trainees is entitled to a loan amount of N250,000 which the governor Captain Idris Wada approved and cheques presented to the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries are expected to go into fishery, Poultry, Cassava Processing and other areas.

The third set have been sent to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)  Zaria for training.

During a presentation of Cheque to beneficiaries at the youth advancement and development for Kogi state (YAD4KOGI) Agro-Loan, the state governor, Captain Idris Wada disbursed the sum of N37.5 million naira as loans to 150 youths in the state to embark on their various vocational trades under the state advancement and development scheme as each group collected N250,000 naira.

The Governor said the gesture is in fulfillment of his campaign promise to empower youths and Women in the state.

According to him, the programme is a serious one aimed at ensuring employer of labour for the youths adding that the scheme will go a long way in reducing poverty and disease being experienced in the past.

Governor Wada who expressed delight over whipping out thurggery and violence amongst the youth in the state, commended their peaceful conduct during their vocational training at Asaya camp in Kabba.

The governor reiterated his continued support to programmes that would uplift the standard of living of the youths in the state.

He advised youths to be law abiding, assuring them of enormous benefits in the years ahead.

One of the beneficiaries from Ofu Local Government area Miss Daniel Etuile Joy whose product was exhibited while the governor was presenting cheques to beneficiaries was one of the outstanding youth.

According to her,  she used her savings from the training to establish a small business on food packaging saying that she will use her loan to expand her business as she currently does not meet market demands.

Another beneficiaries, Mallam Yusuf Musa from Lokoja Local Government Council while narrating his experience said he was so poor that for the first month of YAD4KOGI volunteer period he wore only his uniform as he could not afford another shirt.

Today he has registered for computer training as his own skill acquisition component of the programme to be supported by government.

Meanwhile another 500 youths have just finished training in the area of sanitation and public works at the National Youth Service Orientation Camp at Asayan in Kabba.

They were trained in the camp for about two weeks in the second phase of the Youth Advancement and Development programme SURE-P.

This  second phase of the programme catered for youths in public works and  enabled them to be self reliant.

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