News
FG To Collaborate With Mastercard Fund To Create Job Opportunities For Nigerian Youth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has disclosed its intention to collaborate with the Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity to create job opportunities for the Nigerian youths focusing on men, women, people living with disabilities, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio-Ibrahim made the disclosure when she received the Grants, Finance, and Risk management officer of Mastercard Foundation Fund, Abraham Jeff Ndambuki, who paid her a visit in her office in Abuja.
The Minister said the Ministry is focusing on priority sectors of the Federal Government which are Agriculture, Climate Adaption, Digital Economy, Blue-economy, Mining, and Renewable Energy so as to establish young people in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
She expressed the preparedness of the Ministry to partner with the Mastercard foundation and advised that participants for the programme should be selected in clusters so that each participant can leverage on the advantage of the others within the same cluster. She posited that this approach would provide greater opportunities for more young entrepreneurs to benefit from the fund.
The Minister promised to provide the foundation with a database of young people who will be beneficiaries and will ensure that the businesses are sustainable and successful.
The Minister further said, *”We are also in the process of designing a framework for the Youth Development Bank. The Youth Investment Fund is in the review process. We want to improve and expand on this programme. We will operationalize the fund. We are well open to ideas on how we can work together and collaborate on those Government priority sectors.”
In his presentation, the Manager Grants, Finance and Risk for the Mastercard Foundation Funds for Prosperity and Resilient, Mr. Ndambuki revealed that the programme had been implemented in 20 African countries, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria is one of them.
He said, *”We have engaged 35 different stakeholders including government officials and the private sector, the programme is in its second phase, the first phase was completed last year, and it lasted for ten years. It was valued at 50 million dollars, and we succeeded in disbursing the entire 50 million dollars across 8 countries.”
Ndambuki further said, “The foundation has come with a second phase and increased the amount to 126 million dollars, which is equivalent to approximately 194 billion naira in today’s rate. The organisation said it would last for the next seven years, so we are now in the first year which is the preliminary stage, that is why we are performing the visibility market research to identify and understand the Nigeria markets.”
He stated that Nigeria is the organisation’s central focus, adding that their presence in the country is to try to identify the key stakeholders they need to partner and engage with as they start the programme this April.
News
Former Minister Sunday Dare Celebrates Late Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle
…Calls on Ogbomoso to compete for power in Oyo state.
Joel Ajayi
The Agbaakin of Ogbomosoland and the former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare has joined family, friends, relatives, and good people of Ogbomosoland to celebrate the life of a veteran Civil War hero and an eminent Ogbomoso-born Nigerian Army officer, late Brigadier-General Benjamin Maja Adekunle, otherwise known as Black Scorpion.
In a statement released recently, the Agbaakin of Ogbomosoland noted that the 10th anniversary remembrance of the veteran General is not just a celebration of his history, but a reflection of the bravery and patriotism of a
man who risked his life on behalf of our country and citizens. Chief Sunday Dare acknowledged that: “As a General, he was first amongst equals, and we as his people, are proud of the legacy that he left behind”.
Chief Sunday Dare explained that the sense of purpose and commitment to something greater than one’s self, is a cornerstone of a soldier’s life, which late Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle exemplified. He signposted a life of enduring symbol of bravery, and compassion. He served Nigeria well.
“The story of the battle for Nigeria’s soul and eventual unity cannot be complete without a generous mention of late Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle, a.k.a Black Scorpion. He was a patriot who loved his country and gave his all. He revealed to the world that Ogbomoso’s sons and daughters were no bystanders or minions. But that, Ogbomoso sons and daughters are brilliant
and brave, courageous and compassionate, patriotic and powerful. And above all, that Ogbomoso is a land of warriors; ever ready to make necessary sacrifices for the unity of her people and her land”.
Furthermore, Chief Sunday Dare stated that: “Late General Benjamin Adekunle has joined the league of Ogbomoso icons like the late Premier of Western Region Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the late Soun Oyewunmi Ajagungbade III, the late Governor of Oyo State Otunba Alao-Akala, the late Inspector General of Police Chief Sunday Adewusi and many other heroes of democracy from Ogbomosoland who made priceless sacrifices for the unity and peace of Nigeria.
For late Brigadier-General Benjamin Adekunle, no task was a burden and no sacrifice was too high: for he loved his people even as he understood that his call to duty carried a risk to his own life. He brought to life courage and patriotism that remains unequaled”. “Out of curiosity, I searched for the deeper meaning of a Scorpion. General
Benjamin Adekunle was nicknamed the Black Scorpion largely due to his exploits as a soldier. I found out that Scorpions are symbols of protection, transformation, independence, solitude, and intelligence.
In addition, Scorpions are also a symbol of death and rebirth, a symbol of power. We stop here. For us, the spirit of the Black Scorpion must rekindle in us the desire to lead. Not just in our land of Ogbomoso, but in our Oyo State. Let Ogbomoso no longer play the second fiddle in Oyo State. Let Ogbomoso speak with one political voice. Let Adekunle’s spirit summon us all to a new cause in this dispensation.
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