By Charles Ayodele
Ekiti State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr Adesola Gold Adedayo has admonished the youth in the state to embrace skills development as a way of avoiding the growing unemployment in Nigeria.
The Commissioner was speaking at the World Youth Skills Day 2024 organized by the Omo Ekiti Ni Mi Foundation in Ado-Ekiti, to draw the attention of the youth to the significance of skills acquisition, titled, “Power of Skills In Shaping The Future”.
He said the programme is significant for youth development and empowerment in the state, pointing out that Ekiti is high on paper qualification as everybody wants to be a PhD holder and get into the civil service and become permanent secretary and head of service if God allows. But unfortunately in the history of the nation no government across board can employ everybody.
This, according to him is why it is important to look at the area of development of the skills of the youth so that they can also rather than become job seekers they can begin to create job in the communities, in the state, and in the respective local government areas.
“It is not enough for you to have PhD certificate because the paper that we are talking now is not as easy as developing your skill at least one youth one skill, if you cannot develop two. Whatever you know how to do, have people who are in need of that service all over the world”.
On the planned protest, Mr Adebayo said Ekiti youth are not protesting. He posited,” three days ago in my office, the head of the youth, the representatives of all the youth in Ekiti State held a solidarity visit to my office, and their message was quite simple. That no protest, that they’re not part of this protest, that they cannot be protesting at this period”.
“Of course, we are hearing rumours of some faceless people who want to go to the streets to protest. But what Ekiti youth are saying is that no to protest, that what we want to do now is to continue to support our governor so that we can get work. Remember that a few weeks ago at a youth forum at Adetiloye hall, Ado-Ekiti, the youth actually passed a vote of confidence on Mr governor and they still went ahead to adopt him for second term in office”.
Expatiating, he remarked that the youth believe in the capacity of the governor, they trust him, they know that he is going to deliver on his mandate, and he is already doing it. Hence, the need to support him. He said a check at all the ministries in Ekiti will show that no ministry works in isolation because they all work collaboratively to support Mr governor to fulfill his mandate.
Adedayo added that all the activities of the ministries are tailored towards youth empowerment, youth development, revealing that through the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr governor empowered a good number of the youth in agriculture. And by this process, lands were given to them, including other items. He believes that government is still going to buy their produce at the end of the day when their produce matures.
The Convener of the programme, Mr Mike Owoseni described Omo Ekiti Ni Mi Foundation as a rallying point for all Ekiti sons and daughters. He explained that the impossibility of the government being the employer of labour for everybody in the society is behind the reason for drawing the attention of the youth to the essence of skills development.
Mr Owoseni said the event would have taken place since July 15, 2024, but couldn’t not because of some issues. He reminded the youth that the programme aims at leaving a legacy for them to embrace development skills for self-employment.
The programme featured panel discussion on ” Youth Skills Development,Challenges and Opportunities”, and awards of recognition of skills champions.
