As the celebration for the 2016 International Youth Day begins today across the world, the Lagos State Government has identified training and empowerment of youth as core elements for national development. Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf made this known on Friday during a press briefing heralding the commencement of a week-long event slated for the celebration of 2016 International Youth Day.

Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said that the State government believes that when youth are idle they become susceptible to perpetuate crime and commit all sort of atrocities, this according to her made the State Government intensified and widened the scope of its training programmes for the youth of the State. ‘Our intention is to empower youth to be self-reliant and enterprising. We had trained no fewer than 2,000 youth in the heavy equipment sector in partnership with Rated Cranes and Scaffolding Nigeria Limited.

Majority of the youths were trained in the areas of Mobile crane driving, HIAB training, Crane Operation, Manufacturing safety among others’ she stated. Akinbile-Yussuf also added that 500 students had graduated from the Youth Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme (YEASAP) in different areas of vocations including bead making, cosmetology, Head Gear tying among others in order to empower and enhance opportunities for teeming unemployed youth in the society.

The Commissioner said that another empowerment avenue provided by the State Government was through the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) meant to provide capital for youths that are willing to engage in enterprise in different sectors of the economy. She opined that if youth can properly and adequately utilize all these avenues and opportunities opened for them, achieving the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would become fruition.

Akinbile-Yussuf urged the general public not to shield criminally-minded youth who are fond of disrupting peaceful co-existence of Lagosians. She promised that government would decisively deal with such individuals. She called on other youths who are still perpetuating crimes to desist from such and take advantage of the several training programmes and empowerment initiatives to be productively engaged.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Youth and Social Development, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasumu, advised the youth to stop blaming the present situation of the country on past mismanagement by our some leaders but rather make the best of the present situation, stressing that the youth of the present age should discontinue the unprofitable bandwagon of the past.

Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasumu commended Governor Ambode for giving the youth a prime place in governance; including the constitution of his executive members. International Youth Day celebration is observed all over the world. It provides opportunity for government and others to draw attention to youth issues.