Poverty alleviation: Northern group rolls out 10 million job initiative for youths

Arewa New Agenda (ANA) at the weekend rolled out plans for the creation of 10 million jobs for youths across the 19 Northern States of Nigeria.

Convener of ANA, Senator Ahmad MoAllahyidi unveiled the initiative in Abuja, during the ‘Follow-on Conference tackling poverty in Northern Nigeria,’ with the theme: ‘Moving households from vulnerability to prosperity’.

While acknowledging that Northern Nigeria is highly endowed with at least 20 different mineral resources, he averred that “North has no business being poor.”

MoAllahyidi said: “Northern Nigeria can lead the migration from the current feeble under-development rated economy that has high poverty ratio among the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) Nigerians; through a Cooperative Productivity Inclusion Platform (CPI), to a viable guaranteed poverty elimination and placement of the BoP citizens on a sustainable economic growth trajectory enabling peace and harmonious living.

“The establishment of the Integrated Enterprising Productivity Inclusion Platforms in each of the 19 States of Northern Nigeria will influence commercial production and value addition towards individuals and national self-sustenance, thereby boosting commercial output and other viable investment portfolios such as agro-mineral export continuum for increased national productivity.

“This is expected to: over 10 million jobs will be created for youth and others immediately. Revenue earnings for the Government at all levels (Federal, State and LGAs) will receive an exponential boost. The model has the potential to generate over 50 trillion Naira cumulative per capital income annually.

He also expressed optimism that the initiative will drastically reduce insurgency, banditry and other social vices, as well as boost our foreign reserve earnings and stabilisation of the economy.

Through its farming and agricultural initiative, ANA is expected to increase the current 35 per cent of arable land across the country to 65 per cent in the next four years, through different interventions such as agro-allied industry, food security by up to 95 per cent and farm incomes, improved food security and domestic production of food, improved seedlings and farm inputs increase arable land cultivation.

Through the solid minerals sector, ANA is expected to establish an Integrated Capital Investment Platform, train Youths on Renewable Energy Systems (Solar, Wind and Biomass) as a component of livelihood enhancement and a response to climate change.

On his part, former Head of Service of the Federation and Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed pledged the Group’s resolve towards the development of Northern Nigeria not because they are realities.

To achieve the feat, he noted that the Group will change its styles and strategies in dealing with issues and problems of Northern Nigeria if Nigeria is to move forward and take its rightful place in the comity of nations.

Some of the challenges bedevilling the region, according to him included but were not limited to poverty, illiteracy, ill health, lack of understanding among key religions and ethnic groups, laziness, complete lack of confidence in trying to do what is right.