Peter Obi in Ijawland
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on Nigerian youth to remain positive and hopeful for the coming of a New Nigeria, which, he said, will be anchored on youth development and productivity.
Obi made this call in his message to mark World Youth Day, WYD. He explained that the current political confusion and economic challenges in the nation should not discourage the youths, but motivate them to remain committed and resolute in the struggle for a new and better Nigeria.
“Unless we remain committed to the struggle for a better nation, we will not be able to achieve the New Nigeria of our dreams. We must remain resilient and persevere against every hardship and obstacle on our journey to a new nation,” Obi remarked.
The former Anambra state Governor stated that many of the nation’s challenges will be overcome if the leaders paid attention to youth development and productivity. He blamed the high level of insecurity and high rate of social vices associated with youths like drug and other substance abuse as well as the high inflation rate in the country to the high unemployment rate among the youthful population in their productive ages.
“According to reports, Nigeria tops in the ranking of countries with the highest rate of unemployment in the world, with a 33.3 percent unemployment rate. And further findings show that Nigeria’s unemployment rate would further rise to 40.6per cent, due to the continuous flow of job seekers into the job market.
“With this high rate of youth unemployment where more than half of the population in their productive age are not working, the nation will continue to stagger under the weight of many economic and social challenges. It’s only by providing job opportunities and massively supporting the growth of small businesses in the country, that the challenge of high insecurity, rising inflation, etc will be taken care of,” Obi stated.
He reiterated his firm commitment to building a New Nigeria anchored on youths’ development, noting that their youthful energy, skills, and potentials were critical ingredients needed to move the nation from consumption to production.
Finally, he admonished Nigerian youths to remain steadfast and committed to the vision of a New Nigeria, which he insists, is POssible.
