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Minister To Revive Abandoned Youth Centres

Published

5 years ago

October 29, 2020

Joel Ajayi

As part of efforts to empower Nigerian Youth, plans have been concluded for the revival of abandoned youth development centres across the country.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare who paid a surprise visit to the abandoned youth development centre at Onla village in Ibadan on Tuesday promised to turn the centre into a wealth creator for the empowerment of youths.

“Our youths must be encouraged to become employers of labour and entrepreneurs. This place would be revived and turned into a training centre and farm settlement for youths interested in farming. They will be supported by loans and tractors so that they can be productive”

Mr Dare lamented that despite the government’s huge investment in youth development centres across the country, most of them were abandoned due to lack of continuity and paucity of funds.

“Government invested heavily in setting up these youth development centres in all parts of the country, sadly most of them was abandoned due to lack of continuity and paucity of funds.

Once there is a change in the representation of the member championing it as the constituency project, the centres are abandoned and left to rot away. This would no longer be tolerated. We would bring most of these facilities back for the benefit of our youth and the communities where they are located”

The Onla village youth development centre which started in 2013 as a Ministry of Youth and Sports Development project has been turned into a farm settlement with overgrown weeds.

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Ogunlesi backs Tinubu reforms as FIRS chairman Adedeji highlights export-led economy

Published

9 hours ago

October 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

After a high-level meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Nigerian-born global investor Adebayo Ogunlesi expressed renewed confidence in the country’s economic reforms, indicating potential mega investments across energy, aviation, and port sectors.

He was joined in that optimism by Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), who stressed that the reforms were laying the groundwork for an export-driven economy.

Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Ogunlesi praised the sweeping policy changes under Tinubu’s administration, including the removal of subsidies, tax reforms, and the revival of a refinery already exporting aviation fuel.

“We had an excellent meeting where we discussed how to put Nigeria front and center for international investment. The President was very encouraging, and we shared useful suggestions on driving economic growth,” Ogunlesi said.
Although he declined to reveal specific details, Ogunlesi confirmed that his firm is actively investing in Nigeria and assessing new opportunities.

“Watch this space. Nigeria is not yet the most exciting investment destination, but that’s what we are working on,” he teased.

Pressed on the sectors of interest, Ogunlesi highlighted energy, gas, aviation, ports, and renewables. Drawing on his firm’s experience with LNG projects in Texas and Australia, he noted Nigeria’s massive untapped gas reserves.

On aviation, he acknowledged his reputation as “the guy who bought Gatwick Airport” and signaled interest in similar ventures locally.
He also admitted that one of his companies operates ports in Cotonou and Lomé but none in Nigeria, a point Tinubu reportedly challenged him on.

“He forgave me but said, ‘you have to bring port investment to Nigeria,’” Ogunlesi recounted with a smile.

International investor Hakeem Bello-Osagie, who was also present, underscored the importance of diaspora participation in Nigeria’s growth story.
“When Nigerians at home and abroad invest in Nigeria, it sends a strong signal to the world,” he said, lauding Tinubu’s policies for making the country “investable.”

Echoing the sentiment, FIRS chairman Adedeji described the reforms as the foundation for an export-led economy.

“We’ve done the fundamentals, and now it is time to deliver growth,” he said.

With global players signaling confidence, the momentum for Nigeria’s economic repositioning is gaining ground, setting the stage for transformative investments in key industries.

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