>
By Emmanuel Adeleke
The lawmaker representing Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East Federal Constituency, Honourable Abass Adigun, aka Agboworin, has said that youth empowerment is a way of boosting productivity and entrenching better society.
Agboworin stated this during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday.
He revealed that his utmost priority is to empower as many youths as possible for self sustainability and development, stressing that if a larger percentage of the youths in Nigeria are meaningfully engaged, the economic condition of the country will be far better.
He said: “My bills and motions at the floor of the House centred on youth development because I believe we are not doing enough as a nation for our youths and I believe if we can create a platform and provide opportunities for them to grow and develop their talents, issues of banditry and insecurity will seriously reduce.
“Part of my electioneering campaign is youth empowerments and to the glory of God I have started and I will not relent in my efforts to empower my constituents.
“So far, I have been able to give financial and material supports to both the young and the aged. I initiated revolving loans for them through their unions and I have been able to compliment the efforts of Governor Seyi Makinde in creating an enabling and secured environment for all and sundry.
“I have organised a special lesson for students in public schools in Ibadan South East and Ibadan North East st various centres during which I engaged teachers to take the students. The project started when COVID-19 disrupted school calendar. Other lawmakers copied the idea and as of today, no fewer than 1,000 students have benefitted from the lessons. And I paid for their UTME forms.
“Some of the students from the lessons came out as the best throughout the state by scoring 300 and above in UTME. Such students are taking 100k each as scholarships from me. Four of them are in UI and two others in the Technical University.
“Apart from that, I have secured federal jobs for youths in my constituency. As Vice Chairman of House Committee on Air Force, I have facilitated the recruitment of some youths into the Air Force and one other into the Army.
“In 2020, I organised a three-day training for 102 youths in different areas such as poultry production and others. Each participant was empowered with N50,000 at the end of the training.
“By the Grace of God, I will commence series of vocational training for the youths, ICT and support them with a start up fund and materials and by the end of the first quarter of next year, about 1000 youths would have been meaningfully engaged”