Minister urges youths in North East to desist from engaging into social Immoralities

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Minister for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande has urged Youths in the North East sub-region not to engage in to social immoralities which hampers on their future and development of the Nation.

Alawande stated this at a North East Yound Entrepreneurship Summit which took place on Thursday at Forshams Hall, Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The Summit which bring together hundreds of youth groups and associations was sponsored by the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Themed: ‘Catalyzing Youth Entrepreneurship for Peace, Progress and Prosperity in the North East’ was also in collaboration with Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZETSI) Africa, which is an organization that has the mandate of curbing the menace and providing solutions to mitigate increase in social vices amongst Youths in the society.

Declaring the Summit opened, the Minister who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth, Sports, Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment in Borno state, Hon. Saina Buba commended the organisers for convening this timely and impactful gathering.

His words: “Today’s summit is more than an event; it is a statement of intent. A declaration that the
North East is not defined by its past
challenges, but by its future possibilities, powered by young entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers who refuse to be limited by circumstance.

“Across Nigeria, and especially in the North East, we know the realities our young people face: unemployment, limited access
capital, skills gaps, insecurity, and social vices that thrive where opportunities are scarce. But we also know that there can be a
meeting point, where opportunity meets purpose and the transformation happens. Entrepreneurship is that meeting point”. He said.

The Minister urged the North East Development Commission and other partners to continue give priority to Youth empowerment, as they are the future leaders of tomorrow.

The Managing Director of NEDC, Alhaji Goni Alkali, represented by Musa Zarami, said, the Commission since inception in 2019 has been supporting Youths, as more than 5,000 Youths have been trained and equipped with skills, and are now economally self relient.

He added that the Commission will continue to invest in the youths as part of its mandate, stating that, each of the 200 Youths who participated in the Entrepreneurship training would receive N200,000 to start business, while anyone who distinguished him/her self will receive additional price worth N1 million. End

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairperson of ZETSI Africa, Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulrazak expressed gratitude to the participants for believing in a vision that places young people at the very
heart of sustainable development, peacebuilding, and economic recovery in the North East region of Nigeria.

“This Summit represents our shared commitment to rewriting the
narrative of the North East-from one often associated with conflict and
humanitarian challenges to one defined by innovation, enterprise, productivity, and opportunity.

“The North East Young Entrepreneurship Summit 1.0 is designed as a practical response to this gap-bringing together policymakers, development
institutions, private sector actors, academia, and young entrepreneurs on one platform to share knowledge, unlock opportunities, and build lasting partnerships.

“I am particularly delighted that this Summit has been structured to combine mentorship, capacity-building, and practical outcomes. Over the past days, participants engaged in intensive virtual training and mentorship sessions, and
today’s closing ceremony crowns that process with recognition, networking, and tangible support”. Abdulrazak explained.

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