The President of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo has commended the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare for his innovative resourcefulness that has resulted in the establishment and approval of the N75 Billion naira National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Gabriel Aduda, while receiving the National Youth Executives at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, noted that the NYCN has taken a bold and commendable step to thank Mr President on the establishment of the NYIF.
He stated that the Memo on the establishment of the fund was thoroughly debated and it enjoyed an overwhelming support by members of the Federal Executive Council. Hr said the gesture was to enable the teeming population of the Nigerian youth to be economically motivated for sustainability.
Dare added that it became important to go beyond empowering the youth into investing in the youth of Nigeria with a common pulse that supported entrepreneurship and small businesses as well as provide the environment for youth to fly with their ideas.
He stated that the 75Billion naira will come in three trenches between now and 2023 noted that President Buhari has given directives to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning alongside the Central Bank Governor to source for the money.
According to the Minister, the Ministry through the Technical/Steering Committees that shall be put in place,which will include the youths, shall be working on modalities to enable Nigerian youth have access to the fund and pay back within a short period with not more than one digit interest rate.
He then implored the youth to come up with innovative ideas that could lead to wealth/job creation and which can as well achieve any of the Nine cardinal goal of the present administration.
In his response,the President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minster whose supervision in the youth constituency has recorded massive positive developments including the National Youth Investment Fund recently approved by President Buhari.
Sukubo noted that Nigerian youth have experienced a breath of fresh air and hope is kept alive owing to the visionary foresight of the Minister for the growth of the youth of this country.
‘To all my fellow Nigerian youths, it is a new dawn for us, the sound of hope echoes in the air. The long awaited dream has become a reality and I can testify that there is a song of joy in our lips” he said.
In his vote of thanks, the Honourable Commissioner for Pan Africa Union in Nigeria, Mr. Niyi Oladele, thanked President Buhari for the economic empowerment by creating this National Youth Investment Fund for the Nigerian youth and other programmes of the ministry on social media to keep the youths off the streets. He however made a call to the President to kindly direct all youths related activities and programmes scattered in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to be redeployed and warehoused in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for proper coordination.
