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N75bn Youths Fund Approval Excites NYCN

The National Youth Council of Nigeria has said the approval N75 billion for the establishment of Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, to be otherwise known as the Youth Bank has further confirmed its confidence that the President Muhammad Buhari administration is committed to ensuring self actualisation of the youths.
President of NYCN, Solomon Adodo in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday explained that the initiative will not only energise the teaming number of youth with brilliant ideas but also steer economic growth of the country.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare, had while disclosing the approval of the fund by the Federal Executive Council in Abuja on Wednesday said the fund would be created to support enterprises, ideas and innovations evolved by about 68 million Nigerian youths, aged between 18 and 35.
According to to the minister, the ‘youth bank’ will help to facilitate the acquisition of credit facilities to fund ideas and innovations that have the potential to create wealth and employment as well as develop the capacity of the Nigerian youth.
“Once again, President Muhammadu Buhari has proven that he is a leader that has the interest of the young population at heart. The coming of his administration has not left anyone in doubt of it’s vision for a productive and vibrant youths participation in national development.
” To ensure that youths are gainfully engaged, the administration introduced several economic intervention programmes such as anchor borrowers scheme, N-Power to mention a few. All these have helped in reducing the volume of youths that where before now idling about.
“In the political sphere too, the President demonstrated his desire for the youths to take leadership roles by assenting to the Not Too Young to Run bill into law as well as engaged a number of youths in his administration”, the youth body noted.
Though the minister earlier hinted that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) would work out the modalities for its funding, the NYCN pledged to follow through to ensure that legible youths benefit from the initiative.
“NYCN notes with satisfaction similar funds made available by successive governments such as the Sure-P fund and the Agri-Business/Small and Medium Entreprise Investment Scheme as well as other youth friendly schemes which had the capacity to put an end to the unemployment situation in the country but were poorly implemented.
” Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that funds made available for this project are not diverted by selfish elements who are bent on robbing Nigerian youths of their birthrights and politicising every initiative for personal enrichment”, the statement added.
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PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
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