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Dare Restates FG’s Commitment To Youth Development

Published

4 years ago

October 5, 2022

Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare has restated the Federal Government’s commitment to youth development in the country.

The Minister made the disclosure on Wednesday in his office in Abuja when the Secretary-General, Pan-African Youth Union (PAYU), Ahmed Wiisichong led some members of his Association and Presidents of West African National Youth Councils on a courtesy visit to him.

According to him, Nigeria has a bulging number of youth that is massive, close to 90 million and as such, government will continue to invest in them with a view to empowering them to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country.

Dare noted that the African Development Bank (AfDB) puts it that at least 12 to 13 million Nigerians or African youth are going into the job market every year, stating further that some of them become enterpreneurs, some survive by dint of hardwork, some get recruited to be terrorists, while others get recruited into cyber crimes, among others.

The Minister who added that the present administration sees investment in its youth as critical, stressed the need for constant engagements by governments of the sub regions with the youth so as to give them a voice in governance, as partners in the development of the continent.

He called on the youth to take advantage of the opportunities provided by modern technology to develop themselves for enterpreneurship, self reliance and employability, in order to take the continent to the expected height.

The Minister who stated that the massive youth population was not a problem but a great resource to every government, assured that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will continue to create an enabling environment for its youth to explore their potentials and compete favourably with their peers across the globe.

He further called on relevant stakeholders and philanthropists to continue to invest in the youth for the betterment of the continent.

Speaking earlier, the Secretary General of Pan African Youth Union, Ahmed Wiisichong, stated that they were in the country for a Youth Security Summit which brought together 250 delegates from different countries.

He assured that youth across the West African Sub-region will take advantage of modern technology to enhance their skills and competencies to ensure inclusiveness in economic development and governance in their respective countries.

Mr. Wisiichong thanked the Nigerian government for their support that ensured a successful hosting of the Summit in the country.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

8 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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