Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, has promised to back any innovation being contrived by Governor Biodun Oyebanji to disentangle Ekiti youth from endemic poverty, unemployment, criminality and restiveness.
Specifically, the Legal Luminary promised to fully throw his weight behind the proposed Ekiti Youth Carnival and the establishment of a Youth ICT Hub being initiated by the Ekiti State Ministry of Youth Development to make the youth population economically active.
Babalola spoke at the weekend while hosting the State Commissioner for Youth Development, Adesola Adedayo, who paid a courtesy visit to the elder statesman at the ABUAD.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Ministry’s Management Staff and the representative of the State Youth Parliament.
Addressing the visitors, the renowned lawyer said as a patriotic Ekiti son, who grew up in the state , that he was aware of the challenges being confronted by the youth population and was ready to coalesce effort with government to extricate the youth of the current socio -economic conundrum.
Stressing that he would always support any initiative that would enable them actualise their vision , the Senior Advocate of Nigeria who has transformed many lives through his philanthropic gestures, urged youths not to despair, assuring that better days are underway for them.
He promised to do more in order to encourage youths to channel their energies toward profitable ventures, especially agriculture rather than engaging in social vices like internet fraud , ritual killings, kidnapping and other ills that could cripple the society.
According to him, “Let me commend the Governor Oyebanji-led government for the various developmental projects he had undertaken across the state and assure him that I am ready to support the developmental strides he was embarking on to make the state greater.
“We are leaders of Ekiti and we had a vision, which was to make this state a cynosure of all eyes and epicentre of good things in terms of development. We will continually pursue this dream and success shall be ours.”
In his submission, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Adedayo, presented the proposal on Ekiti Youth Carnival and the ICT Hub of the ministry to the elder statesman and solicit his support to make the dream realisable.
Underscoring the benefit of the proposed initiatives, the commissioner stated that they were ingeniously conceptualised to promote youth’s internet savviness and mentorship that would boost their morale for better and greater aspirations in life.
Adedayo said that the ministry has embarked on comprehensive empowerment programmes and promoting an enabling environment for Ekiti Youth to achieve their full potential.
He disclosed that besides providing Ekiti State Youth with the required moral support at all times , his ministry was also partnering with the youth council on the Ekiti Youth Carnival Programme and establishment of the proposed Youth ICT Hub.
