Mr Yusuf Ahmed, an Ilorin based legal practitioner, has said youths empowerment should be prioritised ahead of leadership training to ensure economic independence and boost survival.
Ahmed, who made the call in Ilorin on Saturday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that youths deserved empowerment programme and not leadership training by government and individuals.
According to him, most government programmes on youths are solely on leadership training at different centres with a little attempt on youths empowerment.
“Nigerian youths need more than leadership training to survive. Empowerment will take them out of unemployment and make them self-dependent.
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“When you empower youths, you empower the nation. It will help save the country from economic collapse and reduce the rate of poverty.
“Government must stop giving priority to leadership training and concentrate more on youth’s empowerment.
“Can leadership training alone give them food. Can leadership training survive them without a tangible source of income?
“Please let us do more in terms of youth empowerment and stop pretending,” he said.
The legal practitioner also called on motivational speakers, politicians and government officials to concentrate on how to empower youths to improve the economy.
“Leadership training is also good but not when you are idle. Show youths how to live without relying solely on government for survival.
“It baffles me when I keep seeing banners of leadership training every weekend. We need to change our mentality and change the youths’ orientation through empowerment,” he said.
Ahmed, however, advised youths not to be lazy, but add value in whatever way by being creative.
