BY ISAAC AFOLABI
The Federal Government says it will soon establish the National Youth Development Bank to assist youths to access soft loans to easily execute their various creative plans.
Minister of youths development, Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim stated this at a southwest youth stakeholders town hall meeting in Akure.
Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim said the federal government carefully aligned several policies to assist the youths to overcome their present challenges, engage them, and make them self reliant.
The Minister further stated that over one hundred and ten billion naira have been dedicated for the national youth investment funds NELFUND to assist students and other skilled youths to access loan to ease the burden of meeting their educational demands.
Addressing the participants, governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa appreciated youths from the six states in the southwest for not destroying national assets during the ongoing hunger protest and appealed to the participants to always make themselves available for dialogue rather than violence in settling any disagreement.
Mr Aiyedatiwa said his government had been youth-friendly and would continue to prioritize the welfare of youths through job employment, appointment and provision of skills acquisition programmes.
Two of the youths from Ondo and Osun state Mr Abiola Obanoyen and Mr Anthony Olanipekun called for the implementation of more youth-friendly policies in the country.
Dignitaries at the occasion included the permanent Secretary ministry of youth Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, President National Youth council Mr Sukubo Sara-igbe, Ondo state commissioner for youth and sports Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye among others.