It was a gathering of major stakeholders in Maiduguri recently to discuss ways of empowering youths whose means of livelihood have been destroyed by 11 years of insurgency. SADIQ ABUBAKAR reports.
Youths and entrepreneurship stakeholders in Borno state have called on the federal government, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industries, Zenith Bank, NACB, NDE, NPC and other federal government youths empowerment and entrepreneural agencies to involve Borno youths in the disbursement of their grants and loan facilities.
They added that special attention needed to be given to the Borno youths who have been exposed to severe hardships especially IDPs from the effects of Boko Haram insurgency in the past 11 years.
The stakeholders who stated this at a one-day conference lamented that a lot of schemes and programmes have been initiated to tackle poverty, COVID-18, unemployment, hunger and starvation programmes worth billions of naira by both state and federal governments but said Borno youths did not benefit from such.
Commissioner sets ball rolling
The state commissioner for youths and sports, Sauna Buba tasked the youths to wake up from their slumber and face the challenges squarely by being ICT compliant in order to ensure that they are informed on all the federal government poverty alleviation, youths empowerment and entrepreneurship schemes and have access to all the links on websites.He also urged the stakeholders to ensure the establishment of a coordinating unit to serve as central point, while at the same time commending the efforts of existing youths entreprenuership and empowerment agencies in the state, especially, Borno Citizens Concerned Forum, Network for CSOs, NPC and NDE for their support across the state.Saina assured of Governor Zulum’s continuous support to youths welfare, saying the governor had attached great concern to the progress of youths as future leaders.
Others followed in presentation
Earlier, the director of youths in the ministry, Hajiya Hadiza Timta, disclosed that over 15,000 youths have been trained but yet to be empowered in various skills.She called on the youths to endeavour to register for the various skills acquisition schemes as she noted that youths have suffered a lot.The state commissioner for women affairs and social development, Zuwaira Gambo, said her ministry had participated in the mobilisation, enlightenment and development of youths, especially, women in several schemes.She appealed to the youths to be self-reliant and shun political thuggery.
CSOs too
The chairman, Borno Citizens Concerned Forum, Zanna Hassan Boguma, explained that all the agencies involved in youths empowerment in the state are to enhance entreprenuership towards becoming self-reliant.
He added that so far, a lot of youths have benefited from the scheme in two categories with the first group of 60,000 going home with N30,000 as support and the second group of 30,000 got N15,000 each.
The chairman also charged the youths to enlighten their peers on the need for them to be ICT compliant, embrace peace, productivity, entreprenuership and development.
The chairman, Network for CSI, in the state, Ambassador Ahmed Shehu suggested the establshment of a central unit that would involve all and sundry with a common interest.
He also called on the youth organisation to impress on the federal government to give more priority to Borno youths for their loyalty during the #EndSARS protest.
Shehu however lamented that the entire implementation process of the schemes across the country lack transparency; therefore, pledged to lead the crusade on advocacy for more of such schemes in the state.
Chairperson of Borno Social Investment Development Agency, Hajiya Aisha Waziri represented by Comrade Habu Kale Yajiwa commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s support to the state where more than one million youths benefitted from the N-Power programme.
She further said Governor Zulum was using the Social Investment Development programme to empower the teeming unemployed youths. He suggested for the collaboration of all implementing agencies towards youths empowerment.
NDE was also present
The NDE state director, Hajiya Mauro Aliyu urged the youths to be self-reliant instead of being idle.
According to her, NDE has developed lots of skills such as 1-3 years training, small scale entreprenuership for self reliance and free training on how they can access loan, special public works, etc.
She also revealed that Borno is one of the pilot states where five LGCs were selected and N20,000 was disbursed free of charge apart from the establishment of a rural empowerment department for the rural people on agriculture, Graduates Empowerment Scheme to enable them access loans in any financial institution.
Similarly, Hajiya Aliyu noted that in Borno alone, 1800 youths have benefitted from the Micro Enterprise Loan given while NDE also serves as consultant to the enterprise.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity representative said the ministry encourages youths through series of creative links for training and development, saying that over N75 million youths have been engaged by the Ministry of Youths and Sports to be trained and become self employed.
While calling on the youths to stand strong and engage in self reliant programmes, he urged them to liaise with the NPC head of Youths Empowerment and Entrepreneurship, North-east at the Federal Secretariat.
The Bank of Industry (BOI) consultant, Zanna Bintune said the bank had encouraged industries and factories to develop, produce through various loan facilities, noting that presently, the bank is disbursing N2 billion for youths in the state.
He added that the bank earmarked N2 billion to boost entreprenuership in the ravaged North-east where the amount is expected to be on rolling basis annually to finance existing businesses especially, for youths.
The consultant added that there were lot of opportunities around in the state that youths can invest in and make money out of them.
The head of youth empowerment, National Productivity Centre in the state said it has been a sister organization to the NDE under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity since 1987 to enhance youths participation, production and development in various products.
He added that NPC further ensures high level productivity consciousness in youths across 13 states of the federation through their state offices guiding the youths and monitoring their productivity through various tools and facilities.
He however urged youths to patronize the Anchor Borrower money laid at the CBN for agricultural production.
The Small and Medium Scale Development Agency representative, Kaumi Usman said an online registration platform has been opened with the Corporate Affairs Commission for youths to access loans and grants through cooperatives.
He also promised to liaise with the leaders of the youths organization for more detailed information and discussions on how the youths could access the grants and loans.
Earlier, the Resource Person, Alhaji Umar Bako, who is also a World Bank Entreprenuership and Empowerment consultant said the conference was targeted at enlightening, mobilising and guiding the youths towards participating in the ongoing empowerment and entreprenuership schemes initiated by the federal government.
He however expressed dismay over the manner funds meant for Borno have been lying idle in CBN due to negligence and ignorance. He therefore called on youths to expeditate efforts to access all the grants and loan facilities available and meant for them.
He called in the media to help create awareness and sensitize the youths to access the grants and loans in their our interest and benefit with only 5% service charge, noting that over 33,000 youths of 15-35 years are youths while out of over 209 million people in Nigeria, 93 million are in active and productive group as youths.
Umar added that with the estimated seven million people in Borno, 2 .5 million live inside Maiduguri due to insurgency and about two million are youths who are idle.
He however lamented that the high level of unemployment may be catastrophic in the state despite the efforts of government as government alone cannot provide job for every youth in the society.
The sate coordinator of the Borno Youths Organisation, Comrade Abubakar Sadiq Biye, thanked the commissioners, consultants, resource persons and organisers as well as the youths group leaders and media for their contributions and participation in the conference while assuring that the outcome of the conference will be beneficial to all and sundry directly and indirectly when fully implemented.
