By Law Ibitoye
The Ekiti State Government has disbursed N49 million as the second tranche of its 2026 youth subvention to 90 youth organisations across the state, with beneficiaries describing the intervention as a major boost to their programmes, organisational capacity and youth development initiatives.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Adesola Gold Adedayo, disclosed this on Monday, saying the intervention was approved by Governor Biodun Oyebanji as part of efforts to strengthen youth organisations, promote grassroots participation and empower young people to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.
Adedayo said the subvention was designed to support registered youth, student and community-based organisations in implementing their programmes and running their activities without excessive dependence on politicians or personal contributions from members.
According to him, the latest disbursement brings the government’s youth subvention programme to its sixth tranche since its commencement in 2024.
He said the programme had also been expanded to accommodate community-based youth organisations at the grassroots, stressing that the government was determined to ensure that youths across the state benefited from its shared prosperity agenda.
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously for programmes that would strengthen their organisations, develop their members and contribute to the development of their communities.
He also encouraged youth organisations to take their associations seriously, acquire relevant skills and key into other government programmes designed to improve the capacity and welfare of young people.
The commissioner said the government had put measures in place to ensure accountability and transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the funds.
He explained that beneficiary organisations were required to maintain functional association bank accounts into which the subvention would be paid, rather than paying the money into the personal accounts of presidents or treasurers. He added that beneficiary organisations were also expected to submit reports detailing their activities and how the funds were utilised.
Adedayo assured that the government would continue to expand the programme to accommodate more duly registered and active youth organisations whose activities could be verified.
He expressed optimism that more organisations would benefit from subsequent tranches, stressing that the ultimate objective was to empower youths to become active contributors to the development of Ekiti State.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Development, Ambassador Elijah E. Maxwell, said the intervention had reduced the pressure on youth organisations to constantly seek financial assistance from politicians. According to Maxwell, the subvention had enabled youth organisations to finance programmes, meet office-related expenses and organise activities capable of positively engaging young people.
He said the consistency of the intervention since 2024 demonstrated the commitment of the Oyebanji administration to youth development, saying direct financial support to youth organisations would help keep young people engaged in productive activities and reduce their dependence on politicians for the survival of their associations.
The Southwest Treasurer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ashabi Femi Sabi, said the subvention had significantly improved the organisation’s ability to run its affairs and implement programmes. Sabi described the intervention as a departure from the past, when student organisations had to approach individuals and politicians for financial assistance.
He said NANS would deploy its allocation to programmes with direct impact on students, including initiatives aimed at assisting students facing financial difficulties. According to him , the support would also enable the organisation to strengthen its activities and develop programmes targeted at improving students’ welfare and capacity.
Also, the Chairmen of the Ekiti State chapters of the National Youth Congress and the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Temitope Adedara and Ambassador James Bankole, respectively, commended the state government for extending the subvention scheme to grassroots youth organisations.
The duo said the intervention had provided youth organisations with the financial capacity to implement programmes that had previously remained on paper due to inadequate funding.
They noted that the inclusion of grassroots organisations was particularly significant because many of them lacked the resources to execute their programmes and sustain their activities.
According to them, the subvention had also strengthened cooperation among youth organisations, as different groups were now better positioned to pursue their programmes and contribute to youth development without unhealthy rivalry.
They urged beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously and ensure that the impact was felt by their members and communities.
They expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji and the Ministry of Youth Development, pledging to utilise the support to strengthen their organisations, implement impactful programmes and improve the welfare and development of their members.
