A youth development expert and the founder of African Revolution Academy, Oludaisi Omokungbe has advised the new government of Mr Rotimi Akeredolu in Ondo State to place serious importance on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship in the State to reduce unemployment. Omokungbe said this while speaking with journalists in Akure.
Omokungbe, who first congratulated Mr Akeredolu on his new assignment to govern Ondo State for the next four years. He said youth unemployment is a critical problem fighting against the progress of Africa noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rated Africa as the fastest-growing region of the world but persistent youth unemployment is threatening its progress. Our continent has the highest youngest population in the world.
He stated further that the population proportion of young people in Africa to the rest of the population of the region will record a doubled percentage by 2045 according to IMF forecast.
He explained that Nigeria is a crucial country to be considered when talking about Africa. This boils down to the fact that Ondo State is one of the states in Nigeria with the problem of high youth unemployment. According to national statistics, Ondo State is one of the states with a high share in the youth unemployment indices.
He posited that the problem of unemployment is already turning a leading on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and business development. This new should develop a programme for the training and empowerment of youths who are inspired that have decided to follow the path of entrepreneurship world to engage themselves and others, and at the same time, solving people’s problem to create wealth. There should be a deliberate effort by this new government to raise smart entrepreneurs and CEOs to develop and transform Ondo State from civil service dependent to a business and industrial-dependent state. There are opportunities in ICT, agriculture, educational and professional services, production, marketing, sales and distribution to mention a few.
He also revealed that there are many Ondo State youths out there with sound and viable business ideas but they need support, training and funding to get started. This new government should design a platform to collect these ideas, analyse them and equip their owners with business and management training, and equally, provide funding assistance to get them started in their businesses.
He concluded that with this strategy, the state government can empower few creative young entrepreneurs who will also engage certain percentage of the youths out there to work with them and gradually, we will reduce unemployment and raise the internally generated revenue of the state, he stated.
