Date: 2013-11-03

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has advised community based socio cultural groups, the private sector, political Organisations and governments at all levels to aggressively promote youth empowerment in order to avert youth restiveness in the society.

Governor Ahmed gave the charge in a message to the Igbomina Summit organized by the Omo Ibile Igbomina, at the weekend at Ganmo, Ifelodun local government area of the State.

The Governor observed that youth unemployment was a social malaise confronting Nigeria and other countries around the world with its attendant insecurity problems.

He ,therefore ,urged governments and other stakeholders to implement programmes that would not only get more youths into employment but also give them access to acquisition of professional and political experience for effective leadership in future.

According to him, "we cannot claim youth lack the experience for effective leadership without providing them with the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate such capacity in our public and private lives".

Governor Ahmed noted that it was in that light that his administration evolved a youth entrepreneurship programme that enabled youths to access opportunities to start or grow their small business.

He added that youth friendly programmes of his administration included the establishment of the International Vocational Centre, Ajasse-Ipo designed to offer it's graduands business relevant skills and City and Guilds of London Certification to make them employable locally, nationally and internationally.

The Governor further stated that his administration has identified 60 Skill Acquisition Centre and 23 Master Trainers as another platform of promoting youth employment in the State as only a small proportion of school leavers make it to tertiary education level.

The Governor also recalled that the State government recently flagged off the distribution of N100million Revolving Micro Credit Scheme for newly formed Kwara State Artisan Congress with a standardized 47 groups format.