Over 1million Youths apply for N75b Youth Investment Fund in 3 weeks,says FG

The President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Administration has once again reaffirmed its confidence and commitment in the Nigerian youth, nothing that the youth of this Nation are pivotal agents for social change, economic growth and sustainable development.

 In his remarks at the maiden edition of the National Youth Day 2020 celebration at the State House Abuja, Mr President, who is fondly described as the father of the nation, affirms confidence in the indivisible entity called Nigeria, adding that in securing the future of the nation, the youth is a major stakeholder. According to him, the youth of this nation can unanimously with their collective ability and drive proffer solutions to overcome that which confronts us.

President Buhari, represented by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammad Bello, unveiled the official logo of the N75, 000,000,000.00 (Seventy-Ffive Billion Naira) Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for 2020 – 2023 period.  He said this  novel fund is dedicated to investing in the innovative ideas, skills and talents of the Nigerian Youths and to provide them with the opportunities to  access the much needed financing, business management skills and other inputs critical for sustainable enterprise.

So far,over a million applications have been received since the Youth Investment Fund Portal was launched on the 12th of October 2020.

In his opening address, the chief host of the occasion, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, stated that against the backdrop of what the country has witnessed in the past three weeks notwithstanding, the time to celebrate Nigerian youth and validate their contributions to national economic development is now.

The Minister employed all youths to desist from protest and come to the dialogue table with government as partners in the Nigeria project. He said the EndSars protest should not tear the country apart but rather chart a new cause and way forward for the nation.

Mr Dare stressed that, ‘’Mr. President’s belief in our youths called for the quick attention to the 5 point demands of the protesting youth. He was convinced that all acts of brutality in any form  against the youth and the larger Nigerian population needed to be addressed.  The President employed all necessary levels of government to deal with the demands of the youth.’’

The Minister noted that ‘’beyond the celebration of the potentials, ingenuity, talents, innovativeness and resourcefulness of our youth in Nigeria and across the world, this year’s event of the maiden edition of the National Youth Day offers us as a people the opportunity to reflect, take stock and chart a new youth action plan that tackles headlong the issues that confront our teeming youth population .’’

The theme for this year’s National Youth Day : Invest in the youth, secure our future is apt and most appropriate. It resonates across all strata of society. The essence is to rally all MDA’s, private sector and even the youth groups to a new and urgent cause. Dare said that there is the need to invest deliberately in the innovative minds, skills, talents and enterprise of the Nigerian youth, adding that this will equip them with needed and relevant technical and digital skills: to make them wealth creators, self- starters, employers of labour and leaders in their own right.

Dignitaries  behalf of the FG and the  Ministry of Youth and Sports Development presented 10 winners of the 60-day APP challenge competition and 5 young innovators in different fields with certificates of participation and cash rewards. Dare urged the awardees to show exemplary leadership to their peers.

The National Youth Day celebration was well attended by members of the Federal Executive Council and  members of the House of Representative.

John Olatunji.

ACIO.

For : Director Press.