How I am tackling youth unemployment in Cross River- Ayade


By Austin Ugbaji



Cross River State Governor Sir Ben Ayade has disclosed that his administration is tackling youth unemployment in the State through digitalization of agriculture.


The Governor made the disclosure at the weekend in Lagos where he was conferred with the independent Newspaper Governor of the year award on Agro-industrialization. 


 Expressing gratitude to the organizers  for finding him worthy of the award, Ayade said the honour given him showed that Nigerians recognise his efforts at improving the economy of Cross River through agro-industrialization.

 His administration, he said, was determined to improve the farming methods to encourage the younger generation to go into agriculture. 


His words: " I am delighted to receive this award from the independent Newspapers as it shows clearly that someone recognises the inputs, hardwork and commitment to my state and the country and of course the Black race. "


"I think I deserve this award because our people have farmed in a very primitivistic manner for too long and as a digital Governor, my aim is to change that narrative by bringing in technology to encourage our young people to go into farming. "

Governor Ayade bemoaned the high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria, warming it is a time bomb waiting to explode: "Youth unemployment is too massive and you are seeing the direct effect of that in the social vices we are witnessing today. For me the only way you can have a massive recruitment of young people taking them off those social vices is to create an alternative income as a way of engaging them and that is through agriculture." 


He disclose that all of the factories his administration have built to support agriculture will come on stream soon thereby tackling unemployment and taking young people out of poverty.


"Definitely Nigeria will be surprised when all of our agro based factories come on stream. Most of these factories are completed and awaiting commissioning while others are near completion. Therefore, I intend to focus on reducing unemployment in this country starting of course from my State", Ayade said


The governor  stated that the primary focus of his government was to cater to the welfare of its citizens by putting food on their tables to reduce social tension. 

"Today in Nigeria total unemployment rate stands at 33%, it is even more disheartening when you see the statistics of youth unemployment which stands at 56% and that is an absolute disaster waiting to happen if we don't fight unemployment. 

So, for those of us in higher positions of the society, we have to realise that the primary essence of being is the welfare of our citizenry. If we do this, not just concentrating on infrastructure alone then we will be fighting poverty head on and keeping our youths away from the social vices ravaging our society today" , the Cross River state number citizen maintained.