*FG, Edo Govt., others brainstorm on strategise to tackle youth unemployment*

The Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Edo State Government and other stakeholders drawn from the 17 southern states in Nigeria have called for a multi-pronged approach to tackling youth unemployment in the country.

Speaking at a Regional Review meeting of the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP 2009-2011) organised by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, in Benin City, Edo State, Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, said a multisectoral approach to tackling youth unemployment was imperative because of the dangers of having an idle youth population.

Represented by Director, Enterprise Development and Promotion Department, Mr. Simeon Oduyebo, Dalung said, “If all the components of the NIYEAP are implemented, the issue of unemployment will be curbed in Nigeria.”

He said the review meeting was organised to enable stakeholders brainstorm on the peculiarity of the unemployment challenges in the southern states.

"The NIYEAP (2009-2011) was developed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in the year 2008 with technical support from International Labour Organisation (ILO), as a strategy to solve the problem of youth unemployment in Nigeria. The NIYEAP contains four components; Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship Development, Employment Creation and Equal Opportunities,” he said.

Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Special Duties, Hon. Mika Amanokha, said “Government must empower youths through skills acquisition and capacity development programmes. In Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki is investing in technical and vocational education to provide youths with technical skills. Through this and other initiatives, the state government has created thousands of jobs in the last one year.”

He added, “Other states can borrow a leaf from our model to boost employment in their states. The federal government should domesticate its youth programmes across the states in the country.”

The Review meeting is organised by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, the Spanish Agency for International Development and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).


PHOTO CAPTION

R-L: Commissioner for Talent and Youth Development, Imo State, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba; Commissioner for Youth and Special Duties, Edo State, Hon. Mika Amanokha; Representative of the Minister of Youths and Sports Development and Director Enterprise Development and Promotion in the Ministry, Oduyebo Simeon; State Director, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Imo State, Mrs. Uchenna Bakare; Representative, NYSC Headquarters, Sowunmi Faith; and Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Imo State, Chukwuemeka Isidore; after the Regional Review Meeting of the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan, at Imaguero College, Benin City.