Embrace vocational skills, Oyebanji urges youths

Ekiti governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has urged youths in the state to back up their educational certification with vocational skills and entrepreneurship.

The governor said such will make young people to be self-reliant and less dependent on others for their needs.

This came as the youths of the state unanimously threw their weight behind Governor Oyebanji to continue as the helmsman of the state till 2030.

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Governor Oyebanji spoke during the Senatorial Youth interface with him tagged: “Youth, Let’s Talk With BAO 3.0” held in each of the three senatorial districts headquarters of the state, Ido-Ekiti (North), Ikere Ekiti (South) and Ado-Ekiti (Central) at the weekend.

The governor who was represented by the state Commissioner for Youth Development, Adesola Gold Adedayo said the event was designed to ensure inclusive governance where all the youth of the state will be given recognition, carry along, and participate in all government activities.

Adedayo who expressed the governor’s pledge to always place the youth at the center of his vision for a prosperous Ekiti said the program was approved to be taken in each of the three senatorial districts to bring government closer to the people.

He said, “Governor Oyebanji has allowed the youth to engage the government to plan and contribute to their quota to the development of our state, because everything that the governor is doing, is for the good of our future.

“The program started in 2023. It is a platform, that allows the youth to speak, interact, engage with their youth loving governor. It is also a platform for government to communicate its activities to the youth. This is another opportunity to tell him other things you want, and the things done for you so far.”

Speaking further on why the youths must add vocational skills to their education, the commissioner said, “The federal or state government can’t give employment to everyone, it is not possible. Going by the data we have in our ministry, it says that 70 percent of the total population of the state are youth, so will the government be able to give all of them jobs?

“What is important is empowerment, which the government has been doing. Apart from giving employment, at present, plans are on to employ people in the state aviation sector, the process of teaching and non-teaching staff recruitment is also on.

” Aside, the government is creating an enabling environment for everyone to get productively engaged. This is because certification is not enough. We know that our peculiarity in Ekiti is to garner degrees, but the government is saying that, what is the essence of all the certifications if they don’t put food on our table, fetch us something, and bring money for us? That is the reason why the government is prioritizing empowerment of the people in our state, for youths to be self-reliant.

“Presently, wherever you are across the globe, if you are perfect at doing one thing , there is someone who need that service you are you can render or provide. It no longer about one study at the higher institution now, but what you can do through the application of the knowledge you acquire in what you studied in school.”

The youths of all three Senatorial districts premised their resolve to back and support Governor Oyebanji for a second term on his giant stride in all sectors of the state.

The highpoint of the event, in Ado-Ekiti, (Ekiti Central) was the testimony of one of the youths, Michael Kolawole, who said he benefitted from facility and equipment from Bank of Industry facilitated by the state state government to set up a bakery which is doing well and getting good returns from it.