1st January 2024.
Protocols.
It is with renewed hope and high optimism that I stand to address the Nigerian youth today! We give God the glory for keeping us alive and keeping the country together, despite daunting and hurting challenges. Welcome to 2024.
Since my captainship of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) from 2019, we have passed through a lot of remarkable epochs. Some of them are very pleasant, and some very troubling or challenging. In all of it, we have steered the ship, making the voices of the youth heard and indeed, we have survived all anchored of an unwavering hope and undying tenacity. Having come to the evenings of my stewardship in the National Youth Council of Nigeria, this shall be my last address as we prepare for the conduct of elections to pave way for a new breed of vibrant young leaders to emerge and steer the affairs of the Council.
May I begin by commending the resilience of the Nigerian youth, I offer my salute and extend my gratitude to a generation that has refused to be bowed; we have been challenged but not chained; hopeful and confident; progressive and productive. It is my earnest belief that by our sheer determination and abiding faith, we have crossed the toughest times.
It is on record that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda came with excruciating reforms, but these were only made to save us from a pending and inevitable economic doom. We have had to take it with stoicism and equanimity. The criminal subsidy regime was ended and the worst forex round tripping crime ever known to this country was also ended. It dealt us some blows to the masses also, but it was the right and righteous things to do. We thank the Nigerian youth for your patience and urge you to continue to support President Tinubu. It is still “Morning Yet on Creation Day.” And the signs of massive improvement are already showing in few months.
Apart from the Dangote Refinery which will certainly begin full production this year, the Port Harcourt Refinery is also ready to start production. These are undeniable achievements which will change the economic narratives. President Tinubu did not start these projects, but he has clearly opened the economic space and swiftly completed them. Others are following in quick successions. We must remain focused, vigilant and have faith in the Renewed Hope Agenda.
As a nation, we are faced with security challenges. My heart goes out to the families and communities that have lost their loved ones to insecurity, especially the people of Plateau State whose Christmas Celebration was turned into mourning. We, condemn in the strongest terms that act of monstrosity. May the soul of the victims rest in peace.
The Nigerian Youth herein reiterate our faith and unflinching confidence in the Nigerian Military under the command of the Chief of Defence Staff – Gen. C. G. Musa and other Security Agencies who are facing an unusual war which is asymmetric and frustratingly tricky. We urge them not to relent. Our prayers and thoughts are with them. We call on all Nigerians to give them needed support and cooperation.
Having interacted with some persons in the upper echelons of the Tinubu Government and the Security Agencies, we are confident that succor is on the way and this administration as led by President Tinubu will do more to restore peace to the country. We therefore call on the Military and other Security Agencies to maintain crushing pressure on all terrorists and criminal elements till they are eliminated from our territorial space. May we seize this medium to commend the Director General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi for providing the needed intelligence to foil several attacks planned by enemies of the State. The Nigerian Youth shall keep playing our role in assisting with information to counter the activities of all renegade elements.
It is a fact that we cannot run a country where we are not progressively active stakeholders. I therefore urge the youth to continue to be solution providers rather than naysayers and destabilizing tools in the hands of purveyors of crisis and agents of instability.
To this end, let me recognize the strength of young people on the internet, social spaces and mainstream media. It is a great strength. But I plead that our intellect, creativity and energy should be channeled to the promotion of “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress” which is the motto of Nigeria. We must shun all calls for ethnic hatred, religious division and regional supremacy tussles. Our strength is in our numbers and unity. We must therefore focus on our respective Comparative advantages for the overall economic growth and development of the nation. We all need each other as a nation to emerge stronger
As we plan to exit the stage to allow younger people take the stage, we plan to harness the strengths of the youth and middle-aged on another platform to keep the light of the young people on. All stakeholders are invited to ensure that young Nigerians are not allowed to only react before the are called negative names or engaged. Government must be proactive. We therefore call on the Federal government and the respective State governments to embark on massive technical and vocational education training programs for youth to guarantee improved local productivity and improve our balance of trade. Our vast lands should also be deployed to engage youth in innovative agriculture to shore up agricultural productivity, tackle food inflation and ease the plight of the masses. Governments at all levels should ensure that all intervention programs are geared towards sustainable productivity and jobs creation rather than political appeasement and looting. The 75billion naira Nigerian Youth Investment Fund has remained largely unaccounted for and its impact has not been felt by the youth and the nation because it was used as a tool for political settlements while a considerable amounts were stolen. Mr. President should ensure this is investigated and such should not be allowed to reoccur.
May we use this medium to thank President Tinubu for already entrusting a lot of young people with high responsibilities starting from Ministers, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Heads of MDAs. He must not relent. And on our part, we will reciprocate with our love and support.
The Ministry of Youth in particular has taken an unusual trajectory in terms of the agencies and backgrounds of the Minister and Minister of State. For the first time, the Ministry is run by young persons, with the correct youth backgrounds. We hope they break away from the old tradition that disconnected the youth from Government because merchants took over the Ministry. We urge all young appointees of the government to be more in the field with their sleeves rolled up better understand the felt needs of the youth and convey the needed government intervention to them.
Finally , we herein appreciate the National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio for sacrificing their holidays to ensure that the 2024 Appropriation Bill was passed into law in record time. The Nigerian Senate led by Sen. Akpabio and the Federal House of Representatives led by Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas have shown that there can indeed be a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature amidst the appropriate checks and balances. We urge the National Assembly to continually give Mr. President the veritable support at all times.
I urge all Nigerian Youth to maintain faith and unflinching confidence as we march into the year knowing that Nigeria is in safe hands under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency. We shall be open at all times to interface with the youth and provide solutions to emerging challenges as we march on to take our pride of place in the frontlines in the comity of nations.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Amb. Solomon Adodo
President, National Youth Council of Nigeria
