News
Complement your positive engagements to create meaningful environment for Youth- Olawande urged Stakeholders
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has urged various stakeholders in Youth development to complement their positive engagements to create meaningful environment so that young people of this country can thrive.
The Minister made this appeal when he received the team of World bank officials led by their team leader Masheshwor Shrestha, World bank economist in his office in Abuja.
In the words of the Minister: “when you are engaged positively, you have a feeling that the government exists and what the president is doing. We can complement this to create a meaningful environment so that young people of this country can thrive”.
According to the Honourable Minister, since the inception in 2007, the Ministry has been saddled with the development of more than half of Nigeria’s population.He explained that the current reality shows that 60 million youths are in the labour market and additional 5.5 million youths join the labour market every year and almost 58 percent of informal workforce are young people while the majority of these informal youths are found in rural areas and semi-urban areas being vulnerable and at risk. These data, he opined, will go a long way in the development of Nigeria if harnessed effectively.
Olawande expressed his dissatisfaction in the deficiency of skills for job market, relevant vocational training, lack of access to capital and funds safety, infrastructural deficit.He thereby implored various stakeholders to build on the existing collaboration with the world bank to address all these challenges to better the lives of Nigerian youths.
“Since we assumed office, our focus has been to achieve a strong coordinated mechanism for all youth interventions, focus on economic inclusion, provide jobs directly and indirectly for at least 10 million youth within the next five years, ensuring that youth is proficient in at least two income generating skills, expand our credit support funds by 50 million dollars to reach young people businesses and to increase Nigeria’s Youth -focused infrastructure” the Minister stressed.
In his presentation, the World bank economist and the leader of the team, Masheshwor Shrestha disclosed that his organisation is ready to engage Nigerian youths on three pathways . According to him, the first of these three pillars of engagement is to give them the skills and match them to a job that they are suited for.
The second is to facilitate, manage migration opportunities which would probably not give the jobs to everybody but it will relieve the stress on the economy, particularly, when there are no enough domestic jobs.
The third pillar,he added ,is the fallback employment and there could be safety net type support, like public works where they get some income but at the same time, use that as a platform to link them to more skilling entrepreneurship, and other opportunities that are out there.
“One of the key assets of this Ministry is the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC )program and because of the number of Youth NYSC touches every single year and throughout the year, it is a platform that is unequal to the rest. The idea here is to use it to leverage that platform”. Shrestha stated.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya stated that the Ministry will do everything possible to build on the existing collaboration with the World bank for a more robust opportunities for the youth of this country to thrive.
Foreign news
Algeria’s Glorious Revolution: Embassy Marks 72nd Anniversary in Abuja
Joel Ajayi
The Embassy of Algeria in Nigeria has commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the country’s Glorious Revolution of November 1, 1954, with a reception in Abuja, highlighting Algeria’s liberation struggle and strengthening diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
The event, held on November 9, 2026, at Continental Suites Hotel, attracted prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Federal Government, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other friends of Algeria.
Speaking at the reception, Algeria’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, welcomed guests and paid tribute to the country’s freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle for independence.
He described the November 1, 1954 revolution as the foundation of modern Algeria, noting that the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs made it possible for the country to reclaim its sovereignty.
On Algeria’s development agenda, Mezoued said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration had continued to pursue economic reforms, diversification and national development under its New Algeria vision.
He noted that the country was recording progress in non-hydrocarbon exports, while improvements in the business environment had boosted investor confidence and attracted significant foreign investments.
On foreign policy, the ambassador reaffirmed Algeria’s commitment to non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, peaceful conflict resolution and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Addressing security challenges in the Sahel, he stressed that lasting peace could not be achieved through military measures alone, insisting that economic development, inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes remained essential.
Turning to Nigeria-Algeria relations, Mezoued described the partnership as one founded on shared values and the commitment of both countries’ leaders to advancing African development.
He identified the Trans-Saharan Highway, Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone as major strategic projects receiving attention from both countries.
The ambassador also disclosed that Algeria had continued to provide scholarships to Nigerian students to strengthen human capital development and capacity building.
He further announced that Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian operations on October 26, 2026, with the introduction of two weekly flights to Lagos, expressing confidence that the service would boost trade and tourism.
Looking ahead, Mezoued said 2027 would offer fresh opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly through the fifth Joint High Bi-National Commission scheduled to hold in Abuja.
He expressed optimism that the meeting would provide an opportunity to assess existing partnerships, identify new areas of cooperation and move Nigeria-Algeria relations towards a more practical and results-driven phase.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured7 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
