Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has assured that his administration will continue to give youths in the state the platforms and opportunities to unlock their potential.
Governor Makinde said his government has been pursuing the objectives of the nation’s economic prosperity through creation of entrepreneurs and commitment to the education of the young people for productivity.
Makinde, who stated these at the grand finale of the Oyo State Youth Summit 2025, held at the International Conference Centre of University of Ibadan noted that the youths must be educated, well-informed and also lean towards entrepreneurship.
“Sometimes, when I attend a programme like this, I ask myself – these people in front of me, are they stretching their hands out for us to give them handouts or are they the potentials that we need to unlock to create prosperity for this country?
“I believe that you folks that I am seeing here today are the potentials that we must unlock to create economic prosperity for this country,” Makinde said.
He recalled how at age 29, he started paying people’s salaries till today. “People will say that the average age in Nigeria is less than 30. So, what is the usefulness of our youths who are not productive? After leaving the university, there is no job for them.”
He dismissed the talk about a conspiracy theory where some people believe Nigeria is being held down by advanced countries, comparing the nation with Finland which became one of the richest countries without oil but through education.
“We asked if they (Finland) have oil, but they said education led them to where they are currently as a nation. Nigeria’s illiteracy rate right now is quite high. So, my message is that nobody will hold Nigeria down once we get our structure and leadership right, and we will unlock these potentials.
Instead of looking for jobs created by others, he charged the youths to unleash their potential to create jobs. “Economic prosperity would come when we have entrepreneurs. Some of you are planning for jobs and looking at opportunities to be created by others.
“But I only worked for an organisation once in my entire life. I did one year of Youth Service in 1990-1991. I later worked for Shell and after that, I started working for myself. In the beginning, I could not even call myself a Managing Director, because I was too young.
“So, we must create entrepreneurs and you must always have that in mind. Get exposure if you have the opportunity. If you don’t, read up. We must be serious with education; we must educate our people to reduce illiteracy. If you are well-informed you will be able to make decisions that are logical,” Makinde stressed.
He assured that Oyo State would always lead the charge in giving the youths opportunities to unlock their potential.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Miss Wasilat Adegoke, lauded the Governor Makinde for implementing policies and initiatives that have impacted positively on youths in the state.
She maintained that the administration has continued to prioritise youth development, knowing that the future of the state lies in the hands of its teeming young people.
Adegoke charged youths to take ownership of their lives, unlock their potentials by being proactive, innovative and ready to impact their communities.
She said, “Under the leadership of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, our state has witnessed a standard perspective in youth empowerment with initiatives that have positively impacted the lives of our youths in the state.
“This administration has prioritised youth development, recognising that the future of our state lies in the hands of our young people. His policies and programmes have been designed to unlock the potentials of the youth, providing them with the necessary tools, skills and support to succeed,” she said.
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