Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has urged Nigerian youths to participate in the federal government’s Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) to address youth unemployment, economic marginalisatiom and exclusion.
Olawande, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dr Warrens Augusta, spoke at the ‘YEIDEP River State Stakeholders Engagement Forum’, held in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, September 11, 2025, sponsored by Alpha Morgan Bank.
He noted YEIDEP’s initiation as a commitment by the Federal Government to tackle unemployment, poverty, and radicalisation among young Nigerians – issues threatening the country’s socio-political stability, national security, and economic development.
Olawande commended President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of YEIDEP, stating that, “President Bola Tinubu GCFR, deserves the gratitude and appreciation of Nigerian youths for his role in the creation of this strategic youth economic empowerment scheme… With YEIDEP and its effective implementation, these ugly social factors will soon be mitigated.”
YEIDEP Coordinator-General and renowned humanitarian activist,Comrade Kennedy Iyere, called on State governors and elected officials to support YEIDEP, emphasising it is crucial to countering Nigeria’s chronic youth unemployment and its associated threats like radicalization and civil unrest.
“Nigeria’s chronic youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb… YEIDEP offers us an escape route away from a looming political destruction,” Iyere warned, urging investment from governments, wealthy Nigerians, and global partners for YEIDEP’s success.
Executive Director of Alpha Morgan Bank, Adedoyin Anyaehie, commended President Tinubu, Minister of Youth Development and YEIDEP’s Coordinator-General for their efforts.
She affirmed Alpha Morgan Bank’s commitment to youth and women empowerment, aligning YEIDEP with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Anyaehie noted Nigeria’s youthful population – 60-70 per cent under 30, about 160-170 million people – is a formidable force” for economic growth if harnessed.
“Nigerian youth are not just the future of this nation — they are the ‘now’ of Nigeria, and the greatest asset we have as a country,” she said.
“The shared vision of building a secure, prosperous, and inclusive Nigeria is why we not only stand with YEIDEP, but also remain committed to supporting programmes that empower our youths. For us, Nigerian youth are not just the future of this nation — they are the “now” of Nigeria, and the greatest asset we have as a country.”
The YEIDEP stakeholders forum, held in Port Harcourt, brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, NGOs, CSOs, cooperative societies, women and youth groups, aiming to devise a roadmap for YEIDEP’s implementation to create jobs for twenty million youths and young women through entrepreneurship and self-employment.
