The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim, has appealed to youth in the country to shun the proposed nationwide protest and stand in solidarity with Nigeria, saying the country needs peace and stability to prosper.
Ibrahim spoke on Thursday in Abuja when she received in the audience members of the newly constituted National Students Management Council, which has the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Hon. Sunday Asefon, as the chairman.
The Council, which has received the blessing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, comprises senior special advisers, personal assistants, and executive advisers to governors on youth and student affairs across the 36 states of the Federation.
The Minister advised youth across the country not to engage in any activity that would not be law-abiding.
According to her, she shares in the pains of the current economic hardships and high-cost food items, which the government is already addressing, noting that everybody, including herself, goes to the same market.
She disclosed that the Ministry would first, in the short-term implementation of the Youth Investment Fund, identify some major existing businesses that are going through challenges as a result of the ongoing reforms in the nation’s economy and support them.
She added that this would cushion the effect of the reforms, noting, however, that the “economic hardships that we are faced with today are not limited to Nigeria alone.”.
According to her, since COVID-19 struck, the global economy has not quite recovered.
Ibrahim noted that, as a former Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the Governor of Kwara State before her appointment as Minister, she understands the challenges facing SSAs at the sub-national level.
She noted that students remain core to the nation’s development and are key to the activities of the Ministry, adding that the quality of the students at all levels of education in the country determines how strong the nation is, whether in the formal or informal sector.
The Minister reiterated the commitment of the government to the welfare of Nigerian students, saying the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has enunciated various programmes to address the needs of the students as well as help them remain focused on their studies.
She noted the student loan scheme is one of the most profound policies in that direction, saying her ministry would work with the National Students Management Council (NSMC) to mainstream issues affecting youth and students in the country.
She also disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Youth Development Bank and that the bank would take care of young people who really want to go into entrepreneurship by bridging the gap in access to funds.
The Minister also disclosed that the 42 youth development centres across the country would be rehabilitated into centres of excellence. She added that the centres would be run in collaboration with the private sector for effective service delivery and sustainability.
The Council raised a number of challenges being faced by Nigerian students, including the issue of electricity, for which the Minister promised to meet relevant ministries on how to ensure stable energy supply on campuses across the country.
A member of the National Students Management Council, Jacob Ternenge, a Principal Special Assistant (PSA) on Youth and Student Affairs to the Governor of Benue State, said the Council was against the planned protest and would do everything possible to prevail on students and youth across the country to reject the protest.
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Hon. Sunday Asefon, who was the elected chairman of the Council earlier in his remarks, said the body has agreed to work with the Ministries of Youth Development and Education as well as President Tinubu to achieve his aims and objectives for the education sector.
According to him, the Council would make sure that every policy coming from the federal government on youth and students goes down to the grassroots.
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