Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday revealed that 30 youth with vibrant technology-based ideas and innovations would be hosted by the Presidency next month. He said that the programme which is tagged Aso Villa Demo Day was a reflective of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s appreciation of the enormous creativity among Nigerian youths.
Osinbajo also said the Buhari administration was aware that inspite of the advances in education and technology, inequality of access and opportunities still exists which the presidency wants to redress. The Vice President spoke while receiving the United Nations Special Envoy on Youth, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday. He eulogized Nigerian youth as being “very creative and are every where trying to make space for themselves.” While disclosing that the 30 most innovative and talented young people where picked out of the several thousands of young Nigerians who participated in a competitive selection process, Osinbajo stated “we are looking at a new generation of people who have the vision, who have a different way of thinking” and whose “energy and creativity,” will benefit the nation.
He observed that inequality still existed on a global scale as there were still many who don’t have access to education and don’t even know about the advances in technology. “Huge gaps and disparities still exist. So our concern is about creating more equality, more opportunity in education, to level the playing field so that more young people can get a clear chance in life,” he stated. Expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in the North-East, Osinbajo said “the military is gradually winding down its activities and all that we have now is a humanitarian condition that have challenged particularly everything we have.” He called for more concerted efforts from the international community in adddressing the humanitairn situation together with the Nigerian government, stressing that “insurgency is a major problem especially violent extremism and the consequences of it are so grave.”
According to a statement by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande earlier, the UN Special Envoy, Mr. Ahmed Alhendawi expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome for him and his delegation being his first visit to the country. He said he was in the country to discuss with the UN Country Representatives on youth programs and advocated for a coordinated national youth policy pledging the support of the UN system in that regard. The envoy was joined for the visit by UN Country representatives from UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO among others.
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