Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has charged youths in the state to take advantage of numerous opportunities and empowerment initiatives provided by his administration to acquire relevant skills, build sustainable enterprise, and become employers of labour so as to be able to contribute meaningfully to the overall development of the state.
Governor Oyebanji gave the charge at the weekend during the International Youth Day Summit organized by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in commemoration of the 2026 International Youth Day.
Addressing the youths at the summit held at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic Centre, in Ado Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Gold Adedayo, urged the youths to take advantage of various youth-oriented programmes and initiatives of his administration designed to empower them, develop their skill and improve their economic prospects.
The Governor explained that his administration has been deliberate and strategic in prioritizing youth development as a key component of its development agenda, noting that the decision to establish a dedicated Ministry was borne out of the need to give focused attention to the aspirations, challenges and potentials of young people in the state.
The Governor said his government deliberately prioritized youth development by creating opportunities in entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, digital innovation, agriculture, sports and other sectors.
He highlighted various interventions of his government in youth development to include, direct financial support to youth and student organizations, skill training and enterprise support that place tools and startup capital in the hands of the young people, providing innovation and technology platform, regular youth engagement, among others.
While felicitating the youths on the occasion of the international Youth Day, Governor Oyebanji also advised them against the pursuit of quick wealth through shortcuts, saying sustainable success requires discipline, hard work, patience and willingness to develop oneself.
He assured them that his administration remains committed to providing an enabling environment for Ekiti youths to thrive in the development and future prosperity of the state.
In his keynote address, Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, urged the youths in the state to reject the notion that they are leaders of tomorrow, charging them to take ownership of the present and position themselves as active participants in shaping the future of Ekiti state and Nigeria at large.
Aribasoye, who noted that government could not employ everyone, stressing that its responsibility is to create enabling environment for young people to thrive, innovate and create wealth, challenged the youths to prioritise competence, digital skills, entrepreneurship, agriculture, renewable energy and emerging technologies while using their talents to create sustainable enterprise and employment opportunities.
The Speaker also charged them to move from consumption to creation, protest to constructive policy engagement, identifying societal problems and develop solutions that could drive development.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the NYCN, Ekiti State Chapter, Comr Segun Bankole commended Governor Oyebanji for his administration’s commitment to youth development and empowerment, describing the various initiatives of the government as deliberate efforts to create opportunities for young people to become self-reliant and productive members of society
He explained that that the youth week and the international youth day summit were designed to create platforms for young people from different backgrounds to come together, share ideas, build networks and identify practical ways of contributing to the development of the state.