Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has appealed to the youths in the state to support the development agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in order to attract more gainful employment opportunities and other dividends of democracy to the state.
Ododo made the appeal in Abuja yesterday while declaring open the Kogi Youth and Mining and Jewellery Craftsmanship Empowerment Programme.
The governor said the administration of President Tinubu has demonstrated genuine concern for the welfare of Nigerian youths through the introduction of several empowerment programmes that have direct bearing on the lives and livelihoods of young people across the country.
According to him, the Federal Government has continued to initiate programmes aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills, creating employment opportunities, and promoting entrepreneurship as part of its broader economic development agenda.
“The Federal Government has embarked on several interventions that have direct bearing on the lives of many youths in Nigeria today, and this represents a radical departure from what was obtainable in the past.
“I am appealing to you as youths in Kogi State not to jeopardise the love and commitment President Tinubu has shown towards you. Rather, reciprocate this gesture with good behaviour, hard work, and patriotism,” he said.
Governor Ododo further stated that Kogi youths are not known to be lazy, adding that his administration would continue to do everything within the available resources of the state to ensure that young people receive the necessary support to become self-reliant in whatever endeavour they choose to pursue.
“We are not going to give you fish; rather, we are going to teach you how to catch fish so that you can earn a living, become financially independent, and also help others around you,” the governor said.
He congratulated the successful candidates of the first batch of the mining and jewellery skill acquisition training programme, noting that Kogi State is richly endowed with 32 solid mineral deposits, many of which remain untapped and hold enormous economic potential.
While commending the management of Malivelihood, the training partner, Governor Ododo described mining and jewellery craftsmanship as one of the easiest pathways to sustainable and generational wealth creation.
He charged the successful participants to maximise the opportunity provided by the training and leverage the abundant raw materials available in the state to become skilled craftsmen capable of competing both nationally and internationally.
One of the beneficiaries, Chubiojo Faith Omachi from Ofu Local Government Area of the state, expressed appreciation to the Kogi State Government for providing them with the opportunity to acquire valuable skills.
“We are grateful for this huge investment in our future, and we will reciprocate this gesture by putting the knowledge and training we receive into productive use and by training others within our communities,” she said.
At the occasion, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Bashir Gegu, commended Governor Ododo for placing high priority on youth empowerment through skills acquisition. He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity by remaining committed throughout the training and applying the knowledge acquired for their personal and economic development.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the coordinating company, Malivelihood, Dr Olushola Awujoola, disclosed that the company received 16,900 applications from both within Kogi State and outside the state for the programme.
He explained that 13,900 applications were successfully reviewed, out of which 20 applicants were selected for the first batch of the training, while a second batch would commence immediately after the completion of the inaugural session.
Awujoola thanked the Kogi State Government for selecting his company to coordinate the training programme and assured Governor Ododo that every effort would be made to provide participants with high-quality training that meets international best practices and equips them with globally competitive skills.
