The Federal Government has to mobilise the energies and capacities of youths to minimise national security risks.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Akin Dare, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, at the launch of the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP 2021-2024).

He said the launch of the Plan is an expression of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to create about 3.7 million jobs yearly and achieve national development goals, especially, sustainable economic growth.

He said youth should be regarded as a viable investment that can yield socio-economic progress, rather than a group targeted for periodic empowerment interventions.

The minister said youth unemployment has assumed an uncomfortable proportion. He said its effect has not only led to frustration on the part of the youth but is also the underlying cause of poverty and restiveness in the country.

“It is important to state that the economic and social consequences of youth unemployment transcend the youth group. It has also resulted in missed economic opportunities for the nation. This is because youth inclusion is about skilled human capital, social and economic stability, a vibrant and healthy labour force, which will also engender political stability and national growth and development,” Dare said.

(The Guardian)

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