Kunle Adelabu
Special Adviser On Agriculture, Olusanya To Partner IDYIM On Youth Development
The Special Adviser on Agriculture to the Governor of Lagos State, Ms Bisola Ruth Olusanya, and chieftains of the Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM) have reached agreement on programmes to execute towards positively engaging the youths in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria.
Chieftains of the umbrella body for the youths in the division met with the Special Adviser in her office at the Ministry of Agriculture, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, at the weekend.
Dr Abiodun Fatai Abatan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), Ikorodu Division Youth Initiative Movement (IDYIM), and Comrade Samson Bisriyu, the IDYIM Executive Director and member of the body’s BOT, represented the youths in the division at the meeting.
Dr Abatan, setting the ball rolling at the meeting, recalled that the meeting was at the instance of the Special Adviser who showed interest in the agenda of the youth organisation and requested for an occasional parley to know areas she can work in advancing the youths’ cause.
“This is a meeting based on the request of the Special Adviser after the 2nd annual IDYIM Youth Summit last year when you asked for occasional meetings to find ways of engaging our youths with programmes and empowerment”, Dr Abatan stated.
“The main focus of this meeting is to identify key areas that IDYIM want to focus on in enhancing our youths’ development in partnership with the Special Adviser who has shown interest and ready to help youths in Ikorodu division to realise their potentials”.
Comrade Bisiriyu, also speaking, stated that IDYIM has been able to execute some programmes and also empowered many youths with the assistance of the Special Adviser.
“In line with your request for quarterly meetings with IDYIM to review our progress and chart a way forward for the organsation towards impacting on the youths, with your assistance, we have been able train many youths on different skills, trained 20 youths on 3D Exposy and organized a workshop for all the trained youths and also facilitated loan for some of them.
“Part of the reasons we are also here today is to review efforts on the proposed youth hub at Etunrenre and chart a way forward”.
He also appreciated the support given to the body so far by the Special Adviser.
Stating the IDYIM plans for 2020, the representatives of Ikorodu youths proposed educational, empowerment, employment and sports development activities.
“We plan to continue with training and retraining of our youths to give them skills and increase their capacity. Our belief is that if the youths are empowered with something that can give them means of livelihood and engage them, there would be peace in the community”, Comrade Samson stated.
“We also plan to do back-to-school programme with the intention of providing the less privileged students with educational materials like school bags, exercise books and other materials which their parents cannot provide for them but very necessary to their educational development”, IDYIM Executive Director added.
Also speaking, Dr Abatan stated that IDYIM is also planning to reach out to special pupils and students in Ipakodo in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area.
The rampant issue of cultism, which has taken the lives of many young ones in across Ikorodu division, was also presented at the meeting and the Special Adviser was tasked with the mandate of making a special case on the matter to the Governor on behalf of the entire Ikorodu division.
Other areas the representatives of the youths in the division discussed with the Special Adviser are employment opportunities for Ikorodu youths in government establishments, scholarship for brilliant but indigent youths and orientation programmes among others.
Ms Bisola Olusanya, in her response at the meeting, commended youths in Ikorodu for the foresight in creating an umbrella body to address issues affecting them.
While pledging her continuous support for the youth activities, Olusanya assured them that she will do everything in her power to support their programmes which she described as laudable.
Speaking on employment opportunities, Ms Olusanya assured youths in Ikorodu of getting the opportunities of being employed into any government ministry, parastatal or agency whenever there is need for recruitment.
She stated that government will definitely consider youths in Ikorodu for employment into the Rice factory first as the members of the host communities.
According to her, the rice mill will be completed in September this year.
On the proposed Ikorodu Division Youth Hub at Etunrenren Primary School, Ikorodu, Ms Olusanya assured the IDYIM representatives that she is going to work with them to make the project achievable.
She also stated that she has been in talk with stakeholders, regarding the project which she described as very pivotal to youth development.
While pledging her support for the enumerated programmes, Ms Olusanya also charged the representatives of the youths to interact with her from time-to-time on their agenda.
Also at the meeting, it was agreed that stakeholders must ensure that the rehabilitation of the building for the proposed Ikorodu Division Youth Hub is completed by the first quarter of 2020.
