President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ignored the nationwide hunger protest which started the same time he began to address the nation in his Independence Day speech......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The protests, mostly being organised by the youth, also took place in August and organisers announced part two after their demands remained unmet.
But Tinubu in his address failed to mention the protests but announced that the federal government is set to organise a national youth conference to “address diverse challenges” confronting young Nigerians.
He said the conference, which will last for 30 days, will unite Nigerian youth nationwide.
Tinubu in his address said the conference will “provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building”.
“By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow,” the president said.
“The 30-day Confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice.
“The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives. Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations.
“The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”
He also said the youth in addition to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) will have the opportunity of taking part in a technical programme involving three million technical talents programme of his administration called the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), which will be launched before the end of October.
The president said LEEP is geared towards the creation of 2.5 million jobs.
“Our government is implementing several other youth-centric programmes to give our young people an advantage in the rapidly changing world. We are implementing, amongst others, the 3 million Technical Talents programme (3MTT) of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone,” he said.
“We have also enthusiastically implemented the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides cheap loans to our students to pursue their tertiary educational dreams.
“In addition, later this month, we shall launch The Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP). It is conceived as a comprehensive suite of interventions at job creation by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is aimed at facilitating the creation of 2.5 million jobs, directly and indirectly, on an annual incremental basis whilst simultaneously ensuring the welfare and safety of workers across the country.”