The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat on Saturday faulted claims that Nigeria ?youths have no future?, saying he is ?upbeat and optimistic? about the country ?because of our youth.?

Hamzat assured Nigerian youth that in spite of the challenges facing the country, there is hope for them.

The deputy governor who spoke at a National Youth Symposium with the theme ?Nigeria: Guiding the youth on the path to self-reliance? to celebrate his 60th birthday held in Lagos, urged them to take advantage of opportunities available to them to become self-reliant.

Hamzat said Nigerian youths should see beyond present national challenges and take advantage of the country?s numerous opportunities, noting that youths had continued to excel in science, medicine, and music among others on the world stage.

The deputy governor further said the advent of the internet had presented global opportunities for youths to excel and urged them to learn how to manage their time and resources to become more successful.

?We must engage and encourage our youth. These are pivotal moments in Nigeria. Many have lost hope in reversing negative trends. It?s not right that our youths have no future. I am upbeat and optimistic about this country because of our youth.

?Our music keeps the world dancing. Creativity in technology by our youths has soared very high. Your stars keep shining in the world of football. Nigerians are heading everywhere in the world. We must not allow negativity to define us, we must define ourselves. I salute the courage, resilience and tenacity of our young people,? he said.

He admitted that the country is facing socio-economic challenges and insecurity but despite the issues, he noted that foreigners were coming into the country to invest and make money.

?Our problems are surmountable and there are opportunities there. What is it that foreigners are seeing that we are not seeing? We must shine our eyes. We must look back at our history. Our youths are very dynamic,? Hamzat said.

In his contribution, the former Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, while speaking on the topic ?Why are we here? said despite the challenges in the country, there were many untapped resources for youths to be self-reliant.

?You are not looking at any individual, you are looking at your own resourcefulness and resilience to take you through. The youths must learn not to depend on the system around them but on their own resourcefulness and resilience,? he said.

He urged the youth to emulate the deputy governor by being exemplary in their dealings.

?The deputy governor is an exemplary leader embodied by education. The government should remove obstacles that prevent youths from accessing the resources of the land. It should not be only for the children of the rich. Nigerian youths should have access to these resources,? he said.

Fagbohun further urged the youths to make use of the knowledge garnered at the symposium to better their lives and the country.

?The knowledge you gain here, share it on various platforms, resonate it. Knowledge shared will improve you and deepen your knowledge,? he said.

Speaking during the symposium, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya said the availability of land for agricultural purposes had been a challenge in the state and there were measures to ease access to land.

Olusanya said the state was developing organised markets to ensure even farmers from other states would tap into the opportunities.

She said the state government has put in place various programmes and competitions to empower youths in the agriculture sector.

?We have done capacity building and provided entrepreneurial support for the youth in the agricultural sector. We need to push for those who have agricultural qualifications,? she said.

She added, ?We have continually trained the youths especially those who did not have agricultural skills, supported and empowered them.?

An Information Technology expert, Dr Stanley Muoneke called on youths to learn various IT skills to explore opportunities to make them succeed.

He said knowledge was important but that there was a need for youths to have mentors and coaches to make them face the challenges that the sector might present to them.

?There should be self-assessment. The youths need to know what they are good at. You should get skills in the area you are interested in . You should network to build your skills. They must learn communication and teamwork. They should produce IT products that can solve problems,? he said,

The Executive Secretary, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Dr Rabiu Olowo said knowledge was key to success.

He also urged the youths to stop complaining about the economy and seize the opportunities existing within the same economy.

An entrepreneur, Dr Funmilola Tella called on youths to invest in themselves and their money in profitable ventures.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende said youths must believe in themselves and be ready to accept opposition as a force for success.

Ogunlende added that the ministry had continued to engage critical stakeholders to ensure youths in Lagos have a voice and the opportunity to execute their ideas. (Saturday PUNCH)

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