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Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, has lauded the vision of the Oodua Youths Congress (OYC) which is to liberate Yoruba youths from impoverishment and engaging them to embrace self advancement through diverse entrepreneurial support and empowerment programmes, while also giving his support to the group.
The Alake commended the group when its leaders paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Ake, Abeokuta recently.
The monarch, who was highly impressed with the youths focus, especially coming at a time when millions of Nigerian youths are faced with uncertainties due to the alarming rate of unemployment, gave his full support to the various empowerment programmes of OYC particularly, the agric-business and entrepreneurship development programmes of the group which aims to support over 600,000 youths from the south-west region in the next two years.
Oba Gbadebo charged the youths leaders to remain focused in their bid to work Yoruba youths' way out of poverty and pledged his total support whenever needed.He called on government at all levels to invest heavily in Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which he said, has capacity to generate millions of employments and huge revenue for government.
President of OYC, Ogbeni Moronkeji Oladapo, while thanking the Alake for granting them audience, noted that Yoruba youths have continued to face huge socio-economic challenges and felt it was time they led efforts to genuinely empower themselves.
He assured that the OYC is committed to reposition Yoruba youths for greater economic empowerment through deliberate engagement with stakeholders at various levels and increased access to decent employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, civic participation, and protection of vulnerable youths, health and innovative poverty eradication initiatives.
Oladapo revealed that "OYC is currently working with thousands of Yoruba youths through various empowerment programmes, such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, creative arts, job placement facilitation, career development, scholarship, and sport programmes.
"We are creating opportunities for Yoruba youths to better meet the demands of adulthood, be economically independent and become more productive Nigerian citizens".
He argued that with increased empowerment opportunities, young people have a better chance to work their way out of poverty, transform their lives and create a better future for their families and their communities and this is what OYC intends to make of Yoruba youths.
According to him: "OYC among other goals, aims to promote self employment and small scale business development as potent wealth generating initiatives for the Yoruba youths, we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to achieve this".
Speaking also, Mr Bode Olalekan, OYC's Deputy President, said further that the group is motivated by its strong belief in the capacity to galvanise the youths of various classes and replace their fear with hope through various empowerment programmes mapped out by the group.
On their agric programmes, OYC's Director of Agric-business, Mr. Alade Adesanmi, explained that "We intend to embark on innovative agriculture projects for the Yoruba youths. We will provide the necessary financial and training support that will encourage our teeming youths to embrace agric-business and help the existing farmers increase their crop yields, improve income and food security for their families and communities, and create jobs for their neighbors".
The Ogboye of Egbaland, Chief S.O. Akinremi, a retired cocoa farmer, who buttressed Alake's stand on the need to reposition agriculture in Yorubaland, said agric-business remains a goldmine that should never be ignored, adding that the various monumental edifices in the south-west today were constructed mainly with agric proceeds.
He therefore commended the initiatives of OYC and charged south-west Governors and other well-meaning Nigerians to support their laudable programmes.
Other Council members of OYC that were present include Wale Adebiyi, treasurer; Wale Popoola, director of programmes and Kayode Fapohunda.
(Daily Independent)
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