By ZAKAA LAZARUS, Abuja.
The Honourable Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Abubakar Badaru CON, mni, has emphasized the critical role Nigerian youths can play in national defence, security, and development.
Speaking on a lecture titled: “Leveraging Nigeria’s Digital Economy to Enhance National Security: Youth Empowerment and Job Creation,” delivered to the participants of Executive Course 46 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, the Minister explored the relationship between youth empowerment, national security, and the digital economy, offering a progressive way forward.
He stressed that empowering youths through tailored government policies and programmes can unlock their potential as agents of positive change.
He said that some of the empowerment programmes like Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), the Youth Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture in Nigeria (YISA), the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) scheme and N-power can effectively turn the Nigerian Youths to agents national Development if they are well implemented.
He stated that with over 60% of Nigeria’s population under 25, there is the need to harness this demographic dividend.
He cited examples of digital mobilization’s impact, including the Arab Spring and Nigeria’s #ENDSARS protests, and pointed out the importance of engaging youths constructively.
The Minister who was represented at the lecture by the Special Adviser (Technical) Major General A.T. Jibrin (Rtd) acknowledged past empowerment programs but noted their limitations. He urged strategists to ensure faithful implementation of government policies, emphasizing genuine youth empowerment as crucial for national defence and security.
He highlighted the vast opportunities for youth empowerment and job creation in Nigeria’s digital economy, emphasizing the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, targeted interventions, and supportive policies to address issues like the digital divide, skills gap, and unemployment. “By investing in digital infrastructure, innovation, skill development, and entrepreneurship, Nigeria can unlock the transformative power of its youth demographic dividend and drive sustainable economic growth, ensuring a safer and more secure future for its citizens,” he said.
