President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Friday suggested that fruitful engagement of teeming youths in the country will increase the nation’s productive capacity and at the same time, negotiating an end to the present economic recession.
Senator Saraki expressed this opinion while delivering a keynote address at the 2016 King’s College Founders’ Day Lecture organized by old students of the prestigious institution in Lagos.
A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sanni Onogu quoted the Senate President as saying, “the country urgently needs to unleash the energy and creative capacity of the youth to ensure that we produce goods and services for local consumption and imports.”
While saying that creation of jobs for the majority of the nation’s youthful population remains a challenge, Saraki said the 8th Senate has started laying the solid legal foundation upon which the efforts to positively reverse the trend would be predicated.
He added that such foundation would enable the youths not to only find gainful employment, but to also find a conducive, legal, economic and socio-political environment to engage in entrepreneurial ventures through which they would generate job opportunities for their peers.
“The biggest challenge facing Nigeria, even in the best of times, is how to create jobs for our 60 million young people between the ages of 18-35. What we are working towards is so that when you get out of school and wish to embark on whatever career path you desire; be it entrepreneurship or in the employment of a company or even in public service, that you have an enabling environment to thrive in.
“It is not uncommon for people as young as 18 or 21 to start businesses in other developed economies. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook who recently visited Nigeria, launched the site at the age of 20, and I am confident as fellow Kingsmen, you possess the will, creativity and innovation to come up with products and services that can change the way we live in Africa; and the world.
“So, at the Senate, we are working to protect your opportunity to do just that. If it is easy to start, run and grow a business, it is easy for young Kingsmen like yourself, to find or create jobs; and contribute to the King’s College Alumni legacy and traditions of service to one’s community and country,” he said.
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