By Ikechukwu Okoronkwo

The Abia State government under, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, is youth-focused in its development agenda and has been doing everything possible to ensure that youths in the state have a sense of belonging. The government has embarked on projects execution with a youth appeal.

The aim is to empower and equip the youths in the state to be self-sustaining and more so make their contribution in return, in the overall efforts in making the state the economic and commercial hub of the East of the Niger.

A case in point in this direction is the establishment of the ICT hub and centre in Aba that has the youth as its major beneficiaries.

From inception of the present administration, led by Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor did not mince words in his vision of energizing the state for future benefits through youth empowerment with the aim of ensuring successive leadership in Abia.

In order not to lose focus in this direction, the government has achieved this youth-oriented programmes so far through the Artisan Vocational Education programme, which focuses on establishment of trade centres for professional education including carpentry, masonry, tiling, house wiring, plumbing etc for job creation, skills development and empowerment.

It is also evident that no fewer than 200 formerly unemployed youths are already working with the Abia State Traffic Management Agency with a view to ensure discipline and order by road users and to minimise road-related accidents.

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In his assessment of current efforts by the Abia State government in prioritising youth inclusiveness in the overall efforts in making Abia a better place, Gilbert Izukwukwu, a citizen of Anambra State, who resides in Umuahia plying his trade as a tailor, said most state in Nigeria need to borrow a leave from Abia in her well-focused programme on youths.

“This will go a long away to tame youths restiveness. Most youths, due to unemployment, are prone to vices but with the current efforts of the Ikpeazu-led administration in the state, crime is bound to reduce drastically,” he affirmed.

It’s instructive, therefore, worthy of mention that a development advocacy group, Collective Interest Group Abia, CIGA, with a vision to support development initiatives that impact the lives and wellbeing of the citizens of Abia State, having followed with keen interests developments by the present administration in youths programme, is poised in making its contribution in lending support to the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu in achieving its overall goals in youths development.

Speaking recently on developments in Abia, CIGA Secretary, Ogbonnaya Ekwebelem, could not agree less with the efforts the state is making in prioritising youths inclusiveness in governance.

“The governor has done well in youths-oriented programme and you can agree with me that the state government alone cannot do all that it will take.

“Hence, CIGA will also be making positive inputs where necessary, to support this present efforts,” Ekwebelem said.

Recently, the state government also launched an entrepreneurship support programme for youths in the state with innovative ideas that need minimal financial support to actualise their projects.

The target is to raise 24 entrepreneurs within two years with one winner emerging every month for the next two years.

“It has always been our dream to approach empowerment from a different perspective rather than the traditional means of giving Keke NAPEP to graduates as empowerment.

“We want to support ideas because it is what rules the world and I know there are many young Abians with brilliant ideas we can support as long as they meet our criteria,” the governor said at the launch of the programme late last year.

Even financial institutions are getting involved. For example, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has partnered the Abia State Government to provide financial and other technical support to existing and potential owners of SMEs in the State under the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, YEDP.

Dr. Ikpeazu said the YEDP in the State has been designed to change the old ways of empowering youths by partnering with strong institutions and provision of right support that would help them become better equipped, productive and contribute significantly to the well-being of the country in a sustainable manner.

During a recent meeting with some students from the Abia State University, ABSU, on the challenges facing them, the governor said: “I observed that successive governments have not been able to mainstream job creation.

“So we conceptualised the Enyimba Economic City project, which is expected to provide 600,000 jobs. This is the only way we can absorb all our graduates.”

He said that the government remains committed to transforming the educational system in Abia through improved infrastructure and academic content in order to produce highly-skilled manpower.

“My administration is prepared to set up businesses for young people in the State, as plans are already underway that would create Internet Parks in Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia,” said His Excellency.

He said that the state government as a direct objective will empower a set of 50 young entrepreneurs with viable business ideas with seed money ranging from N250,000 to N750,000 to establish their businesses.

Okoronkwo, an analyst, wrote in from Lagos

Vanguard News Nigeria