A coalition of Southern Ethnic Nationalities Youth Groups (CSG) has sought national dialogue and prompt but transparent disbursement of the ₦75 billion investment fund for impactful projects in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests.
The group which is made up of young Nigerians from Yoruba Council of Youths, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, and Nigeria Youth Organisation, in a statement yesterday, also demanded justice for the protesters killed by the military at Lekki tollgate, Lagos on Tuesday, October 20 this year during the nationwide march against police brutality.
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The document, which was signed by the National President of Yoruba Council of Youths and Chairman, Coalition of Southern Groups, Oladotun Hassan, and President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide/ spokesman of Coalition of Southern Groups, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, equally sympathized with families who lost their loved ones.
On the occasion of Nigeria’s maiden National Youth Day yesterday, the young citizens noted that the events of past weeks call for sober reflection with a view to concretely defining “our pathway towards ensuring robust growth, peace, justice, economic development and succinct democratic dividends in Nigeria.”
According to them, the Nigerian youth had been ‘unjustly raped and vandalized by the system”, advising the government to check the reoccurrence of the #EndSARS protests.
They implored the political class to see the fulminations as ‘a wake-up call to restructure Nigeria and accommodate youths in governance.’
The statement read in part:
‘Federal Government should liaise with the states to revamp moribund industries and create wealth for youths in the six geo-political zones.
‘There should be youth empowerment programs in agriculture for northern youths, e-Commerce and ICT training for the South West youths, SME grants and soft loans for southeast youths and entertainment and talent training camps in South-South.‘
HOWEVER, a private sector-led initiative has sealed a pact with the Nigerian Youths and Student Coalition (NYSC) to empower 70 million of that segment of the population across the federation.
The project is to raise N100 billion from the capital market, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention funds, and other international partners to retool the targeted persons in the development of affordable homes and expanded agricultural activities.
Support by FHT Ventures Plc, a real estate firm, the scheme would see to the training and empowerment of 1000 youth entrepreneurs across the 36 states and the FCT in the first phase that runs from this month to the corresponding period of next year.
The organization’s Executive Chairman, Olubunmi Adewa-Faboro, during a press conference in Abuja, said the firm and its partners were reaching out to state governments for land as project sites, adding that the apex bank was being approached for assistance.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK