ENGINEER BAYO AJAYI PRAISES GOVERNOR OYEBANJI, DEMANDS MORE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
By Olugbolade Ogboro-Cole
Engineer Bayo Ajayi has commended Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his administration’s youth development initiatives while challenging governments at all levels to do more for Nigerian youth.
Speaking at the International Youth Day event organised by the Nigerian Youth Congress Ekiti State Chapter at Arowolo Ball Room, Fajuyi, Ado Ekiti, the professional engineer and politician declared that empowering the youth requires more than mere rhetoric.
Ajayi praised Governor Oyebanji’s agricultural programmes which have engaged many young Ekiti indigenes in farming activities, contributing significantly to the state’s economy and providing meaningful livelihoods for the youth.
He noted that without such government interventions, many young people would be idle and vulnerable to crime, emphasising that youth across Nigeria are ready to work and contribute but need the right environment to thrive.
The engineer challenged governments to create neighbourhood environments where youth can survive and flourish, pointing out that Nigerian youth achieve remarkable success abroad with the same talents they possess at home, proving that the problem lies not with the youth but with the lack of enabling conditions.
Ajayi warned that failing to invest in youth today would have severe consequences for the nation’s future, as children of many successful Nigerians now fear to visit their homeland, and he urged the government to do more while encouraging young people to dream boldly, embrace innovation, reject corruption and become ambassadors of peace and excellence.
