Date: 2014-03-10

Distinguished Gentlemen of the press, you will recall that this administration has since inception demonstrated a commitment to youth empowerment. The reason for this commitment is obvious. Every year our tertiary institutions graduate youths at a higher rate than the available jobs. In addition, the number of unskilled and uneducated youths increases at a similar rate.

In order to enhance the well-being of the people and prevent a social problem from turning into a security situation, therefore, government is tackling youth unemployment through deliberate programmatic emphasis. In line with this resolve, this administration has employed 5000 youths and trained several hundred others in entrepreneurship and business skills.

Despite these efforts, government has remained resolute in its determination to empower more our youths through direct employment, entrepreneurship and other empowerment interventions. This led to the establishment of the Quickwin Empowerment and Employment Scheme. Quickwin is a rapid and affordable intervention designed to move more youths from unemployment to empowerment within available resources.

The objectives of Quickwin are to reduce unemployment, add value to public service, provide social safety nets for youths and other less privileged improve the standards of living and reduce insecurity. It is also pertinent to emphasise that Quickwin aims to empower youths by engaging them for specific public service interventions.

Distinguished Gentlemen of the press, you will recall that in December 2013, His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, announced the government's intention to engage an additional 5000 youths within the first quarter of 2014 and a total of 8200 by the end of the year. His Excellency subsequently set up an eight-man committee headed by me to work out the modalities for engaging these 8200 youths in 2014. Having submitted our report and secured approval for the modalities, I am pleased to provide a breakdown of the 5400 youths to be empowered in this phase.

1) Entrepreneurship Scheme: It is widely known that government cannot employ all employable youths. Similarly, the private sector can only engage a fraction of the youths eligible for employment. The solution therefore lies in encouraging and empowering more youths to embark on entrepreneurship to create livelihoods for themselves as well as employ others. Entrepreneurship will also boost the informal sector, which as we all know is a significant contributor to economic growth globally. Subsequently, 1872 Youths will be engaged in the first phase of the scheme. These youths are further divided into graduates i.e. those with NCE and above and Non-graduates, comprising those with SSCE and below. The graduates will receive entrepreneurial training for two weeks at Kwara State University (KWASU) and Kwara State Polytechnics followed by another two weeks of internship with renowned entrepreneurs. They will subsequently be clustered into cooperatives and provided access to affordable micro credit to start their business based on the production of a viable business plan.

Each enrollee under this programme will receive a stipend of N5000 per month during their training. For the non-graduates, they will be attached to accredited Master Trainers and Skill Acquisition centers to learn trades available under the scheme. Each beneficiary will receive N5000 monthly for a period not exceeding 12 months depending on the nature and duration of the trainers. The Master Trainers will also receive N5000 per month per trainee for the duration of the training.

Like the graduates, these set of youths will also be clustered into cooperatives and provided access to micro credit funds on completion of their training.

2) Clean and Green Programme: Similarly, 1872 beneficiaries will be engaged to expand the government's innovative Clean and Green Programme which is designed to keep our metropolis clean and tidy. Operatives of the Clean and Green Programme will work in their respective local government areas of domicile for spread and to ensure that people at the grassroots feel the impact of the government. Each Clean and Green Operative will receive a N7, 500.00.

3) Kwara Bridge Empowerment Programme: Due to the success of the Kwara State Empowerment Scheme (KWABES) and our teeming youths interest in the programme, Quickwin will also engage additional Youths into this programme. A total of 350 youths will be engaged under KWABES in this phase of the programme and will receive a monthly stipend of N10, 000.

4) The Kwara Environmental Corps: In line with the government's desire to keep our environment clean for health and aesthetic reasons, the Government will flag of an Environmental Corps with the engagement of 1100 youths.

This Corps will serve as first responders in critical environmental situations, desilt drainages, conduct advocacy on clean, neat and tidy environment and enforce State Environmental and KWEPA laws. Members of the Environmental Corps will earn N7500 monthly. The Corps will also be supported with takeoff Capital Expenditure of N61m

5) KWARTMA: The Kwara State Road Traffic Maintenance Agency will also be expanded and boosted with the engagement of an initial 156 youths. Their responsibility will be to augment existing traffic control measures in view of increased vehicular traffic in Ilorin and other parts of the state. Each of the Corps members will earn N10, 000.00

6) Finally, 50 youths will be engaged under the Kwara State Signage and Advertising Agency Special Intervention Programme to assist in enforcing the agency's mandate of regulating outdoor advertising and signage. The KWASAA Corps members will be paid N10, 000 monthly.

Let me emphasise that this employment scheme is open to all youths resident in Kwara State regardless of their political affiliation, gender, religion, ethnic identity or state of origin.

In order to ensure equity and spread, therefore, these positions will be distributed at the community level in consultation with community leaders to ensure grassroots penetration. Interested youths should therefore obtain forms from the Youth Empowerment Coordinators at their various Local Government Headquarters.

Let me conclude by assuring those interested youths who are not engaged in the first phase of the programme that an additional 200 youths will be engaged monthly until the whole 8200 are fully absorbed. Finally, unlike other schemes, financial provision has been made for this intervention to ensure sustenance and prompt payment of beneficiaries' stipends.

Thank you all and God bless