TELL Magazine

House of Assembly member representing Obokun Constituency of Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has advocated opening of social space for youths and creation of opportunities at all fronts to curb youth restlessness in the country.

This according to Oyintiloye will lead to discovery, nurturing and development of talents across the country and foster national development.

He made the call on friday at the Final football match of the median Obokun Festival football competition organised as part of the celebration to mark the festival, held in Ibokun town on Friday.
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According to him, by allowing youths to exercise, innovate and exhibit their talents, there would be massive reduction in crime rate, such as Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, unemployment, and all forms of restlessness being witnessed in different parts of the country.

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Describing Nigeria youths as innovative despite the frustration they are facing, he said the government must find ways of tapping into the dynamism of its youths to find comprehensive solutions to their challenges.

Obokun Festival Football-Tournament

“The future of Nigeria belongs to the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow. They have tremendous roles to play towards national development and integration. Unfortunately they are not given the necessary attentions by the authorities concerned in incorporating them into the process of national development.

“We are living witnesses to how our youths roam around the streets in search of what to do in order to survive. Some, even out of frustration take into negative vices like engaging in criminality and drug abuse as a result of idleness”, the lawmaker stated.

Describing the promotion of talents, especially among youths as very cardinal to societal transformation and leadership development, Oyintiloye said by creating and harnessing several opportunities, there would be maximisation of  potentials which will have direct impact on the socio-economic life of the country.

The lawmaker stressed that any country or state that failed to discover and retain its top talents is at the risk of losing human capital and optimal performance.

The resultant effect of this, Oyintiloye said, is the involvement of the active youths in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy, insurgency among other vices to earn a living.

He pointed out that any opportunity offered to youths in sports, politics and in other levels of human endeavour would translate to laurels and glory for the nation, adding that there is the need to map out sustainable strategy for youths development.

He pleaded with youths especially in Osun states to embrace and make best use of innovative opportunities provided by the state government in agriculture, tourism, culture among others.

The parliamentarian called on other government at all levels to focus on charting programs and strategies to recruit, develop, retain and engage youths in line with their talents.

He also charged them to vigorously engage in youth empowerment programmes that could engage and prepare them for the challenge of nation building.

The lawmaker further charged government to provide a sustainable framework for integrated planning and collaboration among stakeholders for the development of policies and programmes as well as laws that promote and enhance the development of the Nigerian youth and the protection of their interests.

“Talents are embedded in several Nigeria youths who are unable to display it because it is assumed that there is no enough opportunity for them. It is however high time for governments at all levels to wake up and create enough platform for them to exhibit their talents with a view to engaging them to develop our economy”, he said.

Oyintiloye also urged youths across the country not to limit themselves to opportunity from government, charging them to seek skill that could help improve their living standard and contribute positively national development.