Plan International has urged the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to provide meaningful employment opportunities for jobless youths in the city.
This is even as the international development organization tasked youths to be creative and engage themselves with “green skills” capable of fetching them income, rather than wait for white collar jobs.
The director of programme, quality, and influencing at Plan International Nigeria, Hellen Idiom, said this while speaking during an event to celebrate the International Youth Day in Abuja.
Idiom said while the minister’s plan to restore the FCT masterplan is important, what is more pressing is the need to look at the teaming unemployed youths on the street.
“We appeal to the FCT minister that even as he is putting his ideas into place to restore masterplan of Abuja back to what it used to be he should also put the youths at the forefront . Because the army of youth in the FCT not doing anything can trigger the configuration of this country,” Idiom said.
She stated that the theme for this year international youth day “Green Skills” is very apt “saying everyone will not be able to fit into the space for white collar job so we are looking at green skills because it helps the environment and also the youths”.
She explained that ‘Green skills’ revolve around climate change and a better environment adding that youths can find creative ways to turn waste to wealth.
“Fom online, they can also look at what they are doing in other places and adapt it to Nigeria thereby find work for themselves. For instance, there is this lady that interlocks from discarded rubber.
“In the spaces where they are there are green skills that can be done and won’t cost them much even if it does there are banks, organization that are willing to support them with funds, youths must think of what to do to generate income for themselves.”
