The Nigerian youths have been urged to show greater interest in both existing and upcoming economic empowerment programmes of the Federal government aimed at empowering the country’s large youth population.
The Director General of the City Boy Movement, Mr. Oluwatosin Francis Shoga, said the call was necessary as many young Nigerians remain unaware of the youth-focused initiatives introduced by President Bola Tinubu to reposition the economy and secure their future.
Cautioning the youths to exercise patience and take advantage of the various empowerment opportunities, Shoga stressed that the benefits of the administration’s reforms will unfold over time.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement of the City Boy Movement in Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday, Shoga outlined several initiatives of the Tinubu-led administration aimed at supporting youth empowerment and development.
He cited the approval of the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, with ₦60 billion already disbursed through the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Agricultural Investment and Small and Medium Enterprises Scheme.
He also pointed to the Student Loan Scheme, which he described as a demonstration of the President’s confidence in the capacity of young Nigerians to drive economic growth, noting that hundreds of students across tertiary institutions are already benefiting.
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Shoga added that the administration’s approval of ₦50 billion in earned allowances for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has helped to end frequent industrial actions in the university system.
In addition, he noted the release of another ₦50 billion each to the Student Loan Scheme and the Credit Corporation, partly funded through recovered proceeds of crime by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The Skill-Up Artisans Programme is changing lives. The Nigerian Youth Academy is building tomorrow’s leaders, with the National Youth Talent Export Programme taking our skills to the world market.
“I am saying this with all seriousness, this administration does not just talk about youth empowerment, President Tinubu is doing it,” Shoga said.
The DG urged Nigerian youths, particularly those in Imo State, to take full advantage of the various government initiatives made available through Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as their respective state governments, for personal advancement and national development.
He also encouraged Imo youths to align with the Renewed Hope agenda and actively participate in the City Boy Movement, emphasising that young people remain the backbone and driving force of any thriving nation.
Earlier, the Imo State Director of the City Boy Movement, Goodluck Nwaneri, commended President Tinubu for his efforts to reposition the country and create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all citizens.
Nwaneri noted that the President is committed to not only addressing Nigeria’s challenges but also ensuring that young people are actively included in the nation’s progress.
Urging the youth to seize the various empowerment opportunities provided by the federal government to secure a brighter future, Nwaneri, said, “I can tell you that when all of us look into the government of Imo State and the government of Nigeria today, if we can tell ourselves the truth, when you come down and do your fact check, the Bola Tinubu’s administration has done well to our society.
“He has been the president who has carried all the youth along. You can see massive youth empowerment going on in Nigeria”.
Also speaking, the councillor for Owerre Ebeiri Ward in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, Magnus Okorie, commended President Tinubu for his youth-focused initiatives and urged state governors to ensure that these efforts reach the grassroots.
A key highlight of the event was the inauguration of the City Boy Movement’s State Working Committee in Imo.