April 24, was like no other day in Umuahia, capital of Abia State. For those who were witness to history, the city happily embraced thousands of Abia youths who had thronged the Michael Okpara Auditorium and the Umuahia Township Stadium for two epoch-making events. They had come from all the nooks and crannies of the state and beyond, to participate in the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit – a policy initiative aimed at uplifting young men and women in order to harness their creative potentials.
The spontaneous show of solidarity and appreciation for the driver of the event, Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji, was overwhelming. In their numbers and colours, thousands of youths cheered as he made for the podium in the company of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ), who had been billed to speak to the youths.
Sanusi, ever engaging and never shy to address important subjects, did not disappoint as he made a meal of the instructive topic, “ Youth Empowerment as Panacea to Insecurity in Nigeria.” His appearance at the 1st Ochendo Annual Lecture Series which was symbolically dedicated to the youths, was as pioneering as it was thought-provoking. Indeed, the occasion served as a reminder to the fact that one of the greatest challenges confronting leadership, especially in emerging economies, is the task of harnessing the huge deposits of human capital. To state that this critical resource remains the most strategic of all factors of production is to repeat the obvious. Does elementary economics not teach that labour is the factor that bears the brunt of managing other elements in the production equation? And where else can we readily find a better stock of ‘Labour’ if not amongst this vibrant strata of our populace ?
Available data gleaned from reputable global agencies continue to support and lend credence to the above assertion. While this fact is held as correct, there is also a constant reminder that each economy remains unique in the shape and size of its demography. The matrix of this relationship is, perhaps, the reason some societies have been celebrated for the large number of youths that make up their population.
No doubt, a robust and youthful population is a huge asset waiting to be deployed for greater deliverables. And, this is where Africa nay, it’s components, is generally believed to hold a comparative advantage. Or, what would you make of an economy where nearly 45 percent of its ever-growing population is within the age bracket of 18-35 years? Now, you know why Africa would continue to remain a source of envy even though the industrialized economies continue to hold the levers of technology, dictate the pace of development, and largely determine what price to pay for what they lack.
Indeed, this is the crux of the matter. To argue that Africa’s rich endowments and poverty of ideas is a huge paradox would be an understatement. Her comparatively younger population, largely unskilled, illiterate, sick and malnourished has become a bomb waiting to explode. And, it may, indeed, explode if the growing class of emerging leaders insist on playing politics with the future of youths.
This piece, therefore, lauds the exemplary policy initiative aimed at redirecting the course of development and hinging same on youth and people empowerment. First, while the Ochendo Annual Lecture Series is designed as a fertile ground for intellectual exchange, the Abia Youth Empowerment Summit, A- YES, organized in collaboration with the Ochendo Youth Foundation ( OYF ) is the vehicle through which the governor is systematically investing in the future of Abia State. This was why after the Lecture at the auditorium, everybody moved to the Umuahia Central Stadium where hundreds of free equipment for self reliance were distributed to young beneficiaries from across the state.
Governor Orji’s several interventionist programmes are the reason the state has now attained an enviable height in peace and security management.
Central to the Abia youth development model is the aggressive pursuit of education-for-all policy. Under this scheme, education is being offered free to all Abia children up to secondary school level. This is in addition to the return of schools to their original owners and the total infrastructural overhaul of remaining public schools. This scheme is further complemented by scholarship grants which is enjoyed by students at both local and international universities as well as the regular retraining of well motivated teachers to cater for citizens who cannot afford to attend private schools. Thousands of young Abians are currently reaping from this novel initiative.
The state, in partnership with the CBN, has disbursed agricultural loans worth over a billion naira with special focus on areas that support young farmers. The Ochendo Liberation Farms which are located in the 17 local government areas of the state attest to this fact. Statistics show that over 20,000 youths are currently engaged in the return-to-land project involving the revitalization of many farm settlements and plantations across the state. The resuscitation of all the plantations in Abia State has created so many opportunities. Viable palm plantations, cocoa, rubber, plantain and most recently cassava is now found in the three senatorial districts.
The state is also aggressively pursuing the agriculture value-chain concept by introducing hybrid seedlings and developing processing factories which hold ample job opportunities for youths in the rural areas. The process of fertilizer distribution has been made less laborious for rural farmers with the youths being given free fertilizer allocations to encourage their involvement in this critical sector.
Self-employment is also being driven to the zenith by training and equipping youths with both financial support and the asset base that support the growth of their businesses. The cab operators and other services is located within this sphere. For the first time in the history of Abia State, Governor Orji gave out over 200 brand new commercial vehicles free to young beneficiaries. This, in addition to easing the transportation challenges facing the state, has created a trickle down effect in the economy. This initiative has been complemented by the First Lady, Mrs Odochi Orji, with her efforts focused on girl-child education and skill acquisition. Today in Abia, you can see proud young owners of fashion shops, hair dressing salons, bakeries and other ancillary businesses feeding their aged parents and sustaining their families.
To further drive youth employment in the rural areas, the state recently met the partnership requirement to enable her participate in the Rural Access and Mobility Projects ( RAMP ). Under this initiative, over 500 kilometers of access roads is being tackled in rural Abia with multiplier effects on the agro-economy and youth employment. Indeed, nearly 7000 youths have been trained and absorbed in the direct labour scheme of the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission ( ASOPADEC ) and Abia Road Maintenance Agency (ABROMA). These youth centered initiatives of Governor Orji has wiped off all manners of criminality in our rural areas.
Many more have become self – employed even in the urban areas. Specific mention must be be made of the biggest industrial market in Umuahia and Ohiya Artisans Village which have productively engaged over 5000 youths. These two specialized centers were specifically conceptualized by the governor to target the thousands of freed apprentices who roam the streets because they are unable to start their own business. Today, if you go to the industrial market and the artisan village, you will see proud young shop owners living their dreams as a result.
A lot more could be said but even ardent critics have come to acknowledge that Governor Orji’s response to governance is providing answers to the dilemma confronting his peers in the quest to strike a sustainable balance between resource and management. In Abia today, enterprising young people are gainfully engaged, the rate of crime is at its lowest ebb. There is security of lives and property and with the current revolution in infrastructural provision coupled with the conducive political environment. Abia State under Ochendo is witnessing unprecedented renaissance .
Any surprise then that accolades continue to trail his several engagements with Abia youths which has turned Abia from a pariah of sorts to a Mecca for major national events. In the last 12 months alone, NUJ, JAMB, NYSC, Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, Senate Press Corps and many other organizations have held their Annual retreats in Abia. These and more are golden testimonials to what can be achieved when a creative,committed leader is in the saddle. From kidnapping and other social vices , Abia youths are now the fulcrum around which the new era of liberty and prosperity is hinged. For Ochendo, it is time to say a well deserved well done.
