The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has stressed the need for Nigeria to invest more in its young citizens, especially as they constitute a huge chunk of the population.
Speaker Abbas, in his message to commemorate the International Youth Day, noted that with the youthful population being the majority, the government at all levels must prioritise policies and programmes tailored towards young Nigerians.
The Speaker called for more access to quality and affordable education, while seeking skill acquisition and empowerment of the youth. This, he noted, should be considered as an investment in the future of the country.
He particularly urged the various stakeholders in the public and private sectors to invest more in talent hunts, entrepreneurship, and sports, stressing that this move will shield the youth from crime and other vices.
While urging the youth to be patriotic and law-abiding citizens, the Speaker called on the religious and cultural institutions to continue to mould young Nigerians towards virtues, and against vices.
He emphasised the need for the teeming young population to be morally upright, hardworking, disciplined, and dedicated in their endeavours.