The Chairman of the Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Adebowale Falana, on Friday, stated that the efforts of the agency towards the development of the youth in the state is yielding positive results.
Falana, who stated this during a press conference on the commemoration of his one year in office, added that the agency, in the last one year, worked towards empowering youths in the state through various initiatives.
Falana, who lauded Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for his pro-youth development and initiatives aimed at empowering the youth, highlighted some of the agency’s achievements in the last one year.
According to him, part of the agency’s interventions was a collaboration with The Polytechnic, Ibadan, aimed at equipping youths with vocational and technical skills.
He equally noted that going forward, the agency plans to establish a Technology Hub and Skill Acquisition Centre, where young people can access training opportunities for a token fee.
This was as he noted that the agency is also working with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to empower no fewer than 5,000 youths across the state and to equip them with practical skills and industry experience.
The youth agency chairman added that the agency is currently engaging six registered youth stakeholder groups, including the Association of Oyo State Youth Platforms (ASOYOUP), to ensure that the programmes are inclusive and far-reaching.
He said: “Our first year has been challenging, but our efforts are yielding results. My aim is to ensure that youths in the state benefit directly from government policies.
“We are set to empower our youths and expose them to mentorship and internship opportunities that will enhance their development.”
Reflecting on the recent Oyo Youth Summit, the chairman noted that the event is already making a positive impact by changing the orientation of young people toward self-reliance.
He noted that one of the major challenges the agency has faced is in the area of changing youth’s mindset, “The major challenge we are facing is changing the mindset of our youths, due to the growing spirit of entitlement.
“Our youths must be ready to embrace our programmes and policies.”
He concluded by urging Oyo State youths to take full advantage of the opportunities being rolled out by the agency, affirming Governor Makinde administration’s commitment to youth development and empowerment.
