Bilaad Development Trust Advocates Meritorious Youth Inclusion In Governance

Bilaad Development Trust (BDT), Bilaad Realty Ltd’s corporate social responsibility and investment platform, has called on political officeholders and leaders to guide and embrace the meritorious inclusion of the younger generation in governance.

The Coordinating Trustee of BDT and Chairman, Board of Directors, Bilaad Realty LTD, Dr Sadiq Suleiman Abdullahi, made the call at the weekend in Abuja, during the fourth edition of BDT GEM-HUNT series, tagged “Reboot Nigeria, Echoes From the Past; Vision of the Future”.

Dr Abdullahi lamented that one of the significant reasons talented youths exit the country is the absence of a sincere mentorship platform that creates meritorious opportunities for them to maximise their potential.

“The reason why the youths are leaving the country is because they feel their intelligence or their ability is going to waste. So, as leaders, while we continue hammering on young people to be productive, we should also embrace the legacy of guardianship, service and meritocracy. Once the young people are available to serve Nigeria and work to unleash their energy, we should handhold them closely, insert them in opportunities, not just our children”.

The son of a nobody, as long as he’s intelligent, committed, and disciplined, should be able to become something in this country.

This is my message for leaders while we provide platforms for young people to be nurtured.

While emphasising that the program aims to build an empowered, inclusive, and resilient Nigeria, the Chairman revealed that his organisation massively empowers younger Nigerians and provides capital to small businesses nationwide.

He said the Development Trust has impacted over 200 market women’s lives by giving them grants for their business or teaching them digital marketing skills.

“So, for example, after this program is done, the curtains fall, which is when our work starts. We’ll be in the young lives of these people. For those who are doing very well, we’ll pay for their fees till they finish school. For those in branding, we’ll be able to reach out to our networks across branding to see if they can give them opportunities”, he explained.

The Winner of the GEM-HUNT 4.0, secondary school category, Judith James, advised that the nation must be rebooted to resolve the problems of insecurity, economic hardship, and corruption. She advocated for creating a sincere governance system that punishes characters who endanger the collective existence of the nation.

Other categories of winners at the event included Ayomide Christopher Dada, winner of the Communication and Branding category, and Muhammad Abduljalal Musa, winner of the NYSC Category.