Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, on Sunday, urged youths in the country to key into entrepreneurship programmes with a view to driving the nation’s economy as employers of labour.
The governor gave the advice at a ceremony to mark World Youth Day held in Birnin Kebbi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the State Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
“Entrepreneurship creates employment. The public sector or government employment is a very small proportion of employment.
“It is entrepreneurs that create dreams and companies that employ a lot of people. As a youth, you are blessed and you have the potentials to become entrepreneurs because the demand is there locally and internationally.
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“The opportunities, financing, training skills and market access or policies that will support the entrepreneurship are always being considered,” he noted.
According to him, there is no youth entrepreneurship programme that cannot find financing to support such a dream.
He noted that there was a lot of youth that have potentials in sports, arts, entertainment among others, adding that the successful ones progressed because they put their talents to good use.
“Talent is a gift of providence, but it means nothing if it is not put to use,” he added.
On the EndSARS protests, the governor said the message is clear, but advised the youth to avoid allowing such agitations to be hijacked by irresponsible persons so that their message will not be lost.
“We are blessed as a nation with an increasingly youthful population, some countries are struggling with the opposite, that is declining youth population, and a youthful population is a blessing.
“So, we should always remember to thank God Almighty for that blessing and do the best with what God has blessed us with.
“Energy must come from the bottom to demand how society should progress.
“We should mobilise each other, make demands upon government and more importantly make demands upon ourselves so that we bring out our potentials and help to make our society better,” Bagudu added.
In his speech, the State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Gidado Kaliel, observed that no nation will achieve meaningful development without engaging the youth in its policies and programmes.
He urged the youth to take advantage of various opportunities created by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Atiku Bagudu to transform their lives.
He reiterated the commitment of his ministry to support the youth in the state to actualise their dreams for the good of the state and the nation.