TheCable

Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, says the federal government is taking measures to provide enabling environments for youths to excel.

Dare spoke in Osogbo, Osun state, at a sensitisation workshop held on the use of the Nigeria Online Youth Assembly (NOYA).

NOYA, an initiative of the ministry of youths and sports development as a platform to provide empowerment initiatives for young people, was approved by the federal executive council (FEC) in 2020.

Dare, who was represented by Segun Oke, director of procurement in the sports ministry, urged youths to take advantage of the NOYA initiative in order to reap the benefits of the efforts by the present administration to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

He said through the platform, youths who subscribe will have access to regular information on job opportunities as well as trainings and workshops.

“The initiative was conceived to give priority to the focus of President Muhammadu Buhari to create jobs for Nigerian youths and lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years,” he said.

“The priority focus of the president as related to Nigerian youths formed the background through which the rationale of the NOYA and digital entrepreneurship employability leadership initiative of the ministry emerged.

“The ministry believes that the energy, skills and aspirations of young people are crucial assets that no country can afford to waste, and helping them realise their full potential by gaining access to employment is no doubt a prerequisite to poverty eradication and sustainable development.

“Nigerian youths have played vital roles in leading global movements that have changed the world despite the challenges that they face. Such challenges include age, gender discrimination, lack of resources and unemployment. The new initiative of the ministry will re-invent the future of Nigerian youths, using knowledge and creativity to escape poverty traps, unemployment, immoral acts and other unhealthy plaques existing in our society.”