FG mulls 30-day youth confab as Akpabio, CJN bag GCON

…Deputy Senate president, speaker get CFR

President Bola Tinubu has said that the Federal Government was planning a 30-day national youth conference to tap into the creative energy of the younger generation of Nigerians.

Tinubu has also confirmed the conferment of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) (Nigeria’s second highest national honour), on Godswill Akpabio, the Senate president and Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN).

Others include Barau Jibrin, the deputy Senate president and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, as Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), while Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the House is being conferred with Commander of the Order of Niger (CON).

President Bola Tinubu disclosed this in his Independence Day nationwide broadcast, on Tuesday, to mark country’s 64th anniversary.

The president, who stated that his administration was mindful of the importance of the youth who constitutes 60 percent of Nigeria’s population, said the event will seek to galvanise their energy towards a better future for Nigeria.

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“We remain mindful of the next generation as we seek to galvanise their creative energy towards a better future. We lead today with the future we wish to bequeath to our children in focus, recognising that we cannot design a future that belongs to them without making them its architects.

“Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 percent of our population. It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.

“The 30-day confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice”

The confab whose modalities are still being designed, will see young Nigerians selected after consultations with relevant groups across the country

“The confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives. The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.

He added that the government was implementing several other youth-centric programmes to give young people an advantage in the rapidly changing world.

“We are implementing, among others, the three million Technical Talents programme (3MTT) of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone.

“We have also enthusiastically implemented the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides cheap loans to our students to pursue their tertiary educational dreams. In addition, later this month, we shall launch The Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP).

“It is conceived as a comprehensive suite of interventions at job creation by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that is aimed at facilitating the creation of 2.5 million jobs, directly and indirectly, on an annual incremental basis whilst simultaneously ensuring the welfare and safety of workers across the country.