Making Idle Minds Useful

admin · Making Idle Minds Useful

Making Idle Minds useful

Making idle minds useful in even little ways, contributes to the improvement of our society as a whole. When unemployed youth are given work, however temporary and given incentives and compensations, it is easier to make them deviate from non-beneficial purposes that detriment rather than adding value to society at large.

Whether it is unemployed college graduates, uneducated males parading the streets as 'Area Boys' or uneducated females parading the street as prostitutes, all that is needed is a meaning and credible source of income (hopefully steady) to dissuade them from wasting their talents, education and present levels of skill.

Most of our youth also need mentors to guide them in the right direction and to motivate them not to give up despite their present circumstances.
Most would rather be employed for minimum wage than to remain without any income, while watching their labours for good education flash before their eyes.

Any programs, events or activities that can provide any incentives to involve our youth are therefore valuable tools for making positive changes in the plight of Nigeria.

Cxsm
24th July '07

© Cxsm 2007 All Rights Reserved

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How NFL Used 'Area Boys' for Positive Security Change - Amene
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707161011.html

admin · Perm Sec Tasks Youths On Development

Perm Sec Tasks Youths On Development

Daily Champion
16 July 2007

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has called on youths to channel their energy towards development purposes rather than to violence. Mr Sam Adekunle, Permanent Secretary in the ministry said this last Sunday in Abuja, in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the level of preparations for the 2007 International Youth Day celebration.

Adekunle urged the youths to be resolute in ensuring that Nigeria is properly developed for a better tomorrow. According to him, the solid foundation they lay today will determine the country's future. "We want our youths to deviate from criminal behaviours and divert their energy towards things that are progressive and productive," he said.

Adekunle also charged the youths to come up with positive ideas that would assist the government to move the country forward.

He reiterated government's commitment to ensuring that youths were adequately provided for, saying that it was for this that the National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP), and other bodies were established.

Speaking on the International Youth Day celebrations, scheduled for August 12, Adekunle disclosed that preparations were in top gear to ensure its success. He said that the day was borne out of the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes in 1998.

"The youth day is a declaration by the UN that August 12 of every year should be set aside to mark the day to create awareness on youth's related issues," he said.

Adekunle said that the day would be celebrated through a week of activities that would commence on August 6 to culminate on August 12. He listed activities lined up for the event to include: Presidential youth forum, Lectures, Essay writing, Quiz competitions, Football competition, Carnival train, Dance Drama, Exhibitions of youth initiative and excursion.

Adekunle said that the youth week would also be used to launch the establishment of Youth Parliament where youths would be given the opportunity to deliberate on youths-related issues. "As part of our leadership training, the youths parliament will give youths the opportunity to draw up bills, deliberate and pass the bills which would later be forwarded to the National Assembly for further deliberations.

"We are expecting about 1,000 participants from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)," he said. He further stated that a Presidential Planning Committee chaired by him, had already been put in place to ensure the success of the celebrations. He gave the theme for this year's celebrations as: "Be Seen, Be heard, Youth participation in development."

Copyright © 2007 Daily Champion

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Niger State Creates Back-to-Farm Projects for Unemployed Youth

Leadership
Ibrahim Biu
25 Nov. 2007

Niger State Government has completed necessary arrangements to establish several back-to-farm projects in all the local government areas of the state, so as to absorb the large number of unemployed youths and other interested persons into farming.

Disclosing this to LEADERSHIP Sunday, the state commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Health, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu Kagara said the decision was aimed at alleviating poverty and enabling the youths who are roaming the streets to be gainfully employed.

The commissioner disclosed that in order to ensure the success of the projects, participants would among other things benefit from lands to be cleared for them by the government, tractors, farming tools, quality fertilizer, improved seeds and small working capital to be sourced from micro-finance institutions.

Alhaji Adamu who is also the Turakin Kagara said the government has also completed arrangements to procure sufficient fertilizer which will be given to genuine farmers on time to enable them produce large quantity of farm products.

He said a decision has been taken to carry out soil survey, so as to determine which type of fertilizer is best suited for different types of soil in the state and that to ensure that adequate fertilizer is provided to farmers, a high-powered committee will be established at the state level.

The commissioner also revealed that arrangements are on to establish a radio station to be dedicated to farming issues, in addition to providing avenues for farmers to participate in meaningful dialogues on both radio and television programmes.

He announced that the state Chief Servant, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu has reassured Nigerlites about the state government's determination to boost agricultural production to higher levels.

Copyright © 2007 Leadership