Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Federal Government will continue to support young Nigerians to reach their full potential.
This was stated by Prof. Osinbajo at the 2021 National Gold Award presentation ceremony, organised by the International Award for Young People, (IAYP), which was held at the State House, Abuja.
The award programme is the Nigerian version of the Duke of Edinburghs ‘International Award for Young People’.
Hailing the various ways in which young people contribute to the nations wellbeing, the vice-president cited the example of young Nigerians in our armed forces leaving behind family and friends to serve our country in various internal security operations across the country.
We have seen how young Nigerians rallied in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and designed various technology solutions to support the government.
We have seen Nigerian youths break new ground and earn global acclaim in innovation, technology, sports, the arts, and entertainment.
Clearly, our young people are our most valuable assets, and the federal government believes that they must be encouraged and supported in every way, Osinbajo said, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande.
Speaking about interventions aimed at supporting Nigerian youths in different sectors, Osinbajo also spoke on the plans of the government to raise $500 million to support the technology and creativity ecosystem.
According to him, the project is led by the African Development Bank which has committed $170 million and will also be supported by the Nigerian government, the Islamic Development Bank, and the French Development Agency.
The programme, he said, will run for five years and will give well-paid work experience opportunities to 20,000 young Nigerians every year in private and public sector organisations.
