The Chairman, Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Honourable Adebowale Adebayo Falana has charged youths in the state to embrace the opportunity provided by the state governor through the agency to establish themselves for brighter future.
He said it was high time the youths do away with the mindset that government will do everything for them, hence, the essence of the agency established by Governor Seyi Makinde to assist the youths to discover their proficiencies and lead quality life.
Hon. Falana gave the charge in an interview with Oodua News in his office, Secretariat, Ibadan, adding that governor Seyi Makinde in his transformative and development agenda is poised to ensure youths development in his ongoing administration.
According to him, the Agency plans to reach out to five thousand youths in the next two years adding that efforts have been on to inform them of the development via the media and other information networks.
“Our plan is to reach out to five thousand youths within the next two years and get them registered for the different programs of the agency and also to assist them with SMEDAN soft loans, grants and others”
Speaking on the activities of the agency since he assumed office, Hon. Falana said the agency has continued to work out plans and modalities to fast track development of youths through various measures.
According to him, the Agency for Youths Development was formerly a department known as the Youth Affairs Department under the then Ministry of Information, Social Development, Youth, Sports and Culture.
He said, in the year 2000, the Agency became a Parastatal named Oyo State Youth Council, (backed up with an edit), adding that later in the year 2002, the name was changed to Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, a decision aimed to avoid confusion with the name of the youth body under the monitoring and supervision of the Agency.
“The vision of the agency is to develop programmes and projects that will protect the right of the Youths between the age of 18 and 29 years, make them responsible citizens, empower them through skills acquisition, promote their full participation in the overall development process and improve their quality of life.
He said, “the mission is to build well informed and productive youths with appropriate skills to be self reliant for a sustainable future, to guide, mobilise and impact young people with skills that will promote positive behavior and responsible citizenry.”
While commending governor Makinde for showing unparalleled commitment to the empowerment and upliftment of the youths, Hon. Falana said the youths from ward levels to local government levels are registered under five major groups which include Association of Boys and Girls, , Entertainment Stakeholders, National Youth Council of Nigeria and others.
“What we do is to get their yearnings and demands from their various wards and local government for implementation. In thousand they are here, we have their data and their contacts to make sure that things are done for them appropriately.
“Since innovation is taking place, especially from analogue to digital, we drive into tech business and introduce them to digital skills such as digital marketing, Amazon Publishing so that they can publish online, Artificial intelligence (AI) and others, and a lot of creativities are coming on board to develop and equip them so that they will be self sustained.”
Hon. Falana said there has been positive responses from the youths since the agency came on board adding that a training programme held for the youths, and approved by the governor, in October 2nd and 3rd at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan was a huge success.
“Our Experts came on board and trained them on practicals, on how to create and develop website, AI, and others, and it was a huge success. We asked them to register again for Learning Management System (LMS) , about two thousand registered, and I can tell you that they are doing well in four different skills programmes.”
“Beautifully, we had to partner with young entrepreneur in the state who is into textile, business services and we have young entrepreneur who are into fashion, business and others who can train the youths on ‘Adire’ and others. We also worked with Joke Lasisi the award winner in Nigeria entertainment, and a number of our youths have been with her.”
Another achievements according to him was in the area of staff strength of about 85 which was approved by the governor upon request to enable the agency discharge its duty appropriately.
Hon. Falana while commending the governor for the grace of appointing him as the chairman after nine years without a chairman in the sector, assured that the agency under him will work hard to ensure that the youths are well represented in the scheme of development.
He said another development was the issue of permanent site approved by the governor upon request, adding that it is almost at completion stage.”This will enable us to focus on more progress and development. All of these are happening under the quality visionary leadership of governor Seyi Makinde, we have a center for all skills in IYY, Ajoda, we have what we call Resort in the same area, and we have as proposed 1000 ICT Capacity that will stand the rest of time, it will also stand as a business hub for the state.”
Hon Falana also commended the governor in the area of agriculture, saying the youths are getting financial empowerment to invest in Agric business.
The vibrant Youth Development Agency boss who commended governor Makinde in the areas of infrastructural development, good roads, education, health and many others called on the youths and people of the state to continue to support the governor in his quest to take the state to enviable heights.
He said, “We went into partnership with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in the course of developing the youths, some of the youths are with SMEDAN, some have got their certificate and we are working on soft loan, grant and other means to enable them tap into many of these opportunities abound.
“The idea is that those who have been trained by us will train others, and this no doubt will help in extending the gestures fast to others, and the next face is to equip them with grants and loans to help their business.”
Hon Falana then admonished the youths to come to the office of the agency at the state Secretariat to pick available opportunity in their programmes and start developing.
