Youth empowerment programmes are aimed at creating healthier and higher quality of life for underprivileged or at-risk youth. Some of the competencies of a healthy youth are: positive sense of self, self-control, decision-making skills, a moral system of belief, and pro-social connectedness.
Therefore, developmental interventions and programmes have to be anchored on these competencies that define positive outcomes of healthy youth.
The importance of youth and women empowerment programmes in every human society cannot be overemphasised. These programmes Impact positively on the unemployed youth and underprivileged women who learn some entrepreneurial skills and rely solely on it to earn a living.
Former Governor Murtala Nyako government of Adamawa state did an excellent job by initiating youth and women empowerment programmes, under the Special Projects and Programmes Units (SPPU). They include Local Apprenticeship Scheme (LAS), Skill Acquisition Centers. These programmes benefitted all and sundry, irrespective of religion, tribe or political inclination. Unfortunately, these programmes were scrapped by the then acting governor, now the current governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, of Adamawa state.
Former Governor Jibralla Bindow had during his electioneering campaign promised to rekindle the hopes and aspirations of the youth and the underprivileged women in the state by revamping the abandoned youth and women empowerment programmes but failed to fulfill his promise.
Consequently, the nonchalant attitude towards youth and women empowerment programmes by the the Bindow administration led to the emergence of the Yan Shila boys and the increase in the rate of crime and political thuggery in the state.
Therefore, given Governor Fintiri’s outstanding performance in the education sector of the state, it will be highly commendable if the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led administration revives the youth empowerment programmes to reduce unemployment and poverty to the barest minimum.
For the teeming youth, it is high time we learnt to channel our energy and youthful exuberance to positive use. Let’s go out and learn some entrepreneurial skills that will make us self-reliant.
We should also continue to be relentless in the quest and struggles for a better future.
Mubarak Shuaybu Shelleng,Yola, Adamawa state[email protected]
Adamawa’s abandoned youth and women empowerment schemes
