Key points
- PDP’s 2027 Ogun governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, calls for greater investment in young people.
- He advocates vocational training, entrepreneurship, mentorship and affordable financing to tackle unemployment.
- About 100 young people benefited from empowerment and educational support at the Agbaletu Progressive Movement’s fifth anniversary.
- The organisation says it has supported more than 100 people to access university education over the years.
Main Story
The 2027 Ogun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, has called for increased investment in vocational training, entrepreneurship and affordable financing for young Nigerians as part of efforts to tackle unemployment and stimulate economic growth.
Adebutu spoke on Tuesday at the fifth anniversary of the Agbaletu Progressive Movement, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, where young people benefited from vocational training and educational support.
He said government, individuals and philanthropic organisations must work together to provide young people with practical skills, mentorship and access to capital, stressing that such interventions were essential to helping them establish and sustain viable businesses.
According to him, affordable and accessible funding remains critical for young entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking to start, expand and maintain their enterprises.
“One practical example is empowering young people to become entrepreneurs by supporting their business ideas and helping them turn those ideas into sustainable businesses,” Adebutu said.
The Issues
Nigeria continues to grapple with youth unemployment and the challenge of creating sufficient opportunities for its growing young population. While formal education remains important, stakeholders increasingly argue that academic qualifications alone may not adequately prepare young people for the realities of the labour market.
Access to affordable capital also remains a major challenge for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly young people and small business owners who may lack the collateral or financial history required to secure conventional loans.
The challenge, therefore, extends beyond skills acquisition to creating an enabling environment where young entrepreneurs can access financing, mentorship, capacity building and markets for their businesses.
What’s Being Said
Adebutu said investment in young people was fundamental to economic development and job creation.
“Capital is particularly important in this regard. We must ensure that affordable and accessible funding is available to young entrepreneurs and small business owners so they can start, expand, and sustain their businesses,” he said.
“If we are serious about growing the economy, creating jobs, and reducing unemployment, we must invest in our young people and create an environment where viable businesses can thrive.”
Also speaking, the wife of the PDP governorship candidate and Life Matron of the Agbaletu Progressive Movement, Mrs Adenike Adebutu, urged parents to encourage their children and wards to acquire vocational skills alongside formal education.
“Education and vocational skills can go hand in hand. Learning a skill such as tailoring, catering, hairdressing, ICT, or any other practical vocation does not diminish the value of formal education,” she said.
She added that practical skills could provide additional opportunities for young people to become productive and independent.
The President and Founder of the movement, Samson Oguntoyinbo, said the organisation had assisted more than 100 people to access university education and supported others through NECO and WAEC programmes over the years.
He said the organisation was training 150 people as part of activities marking its anniversary, with about 50 beneficiaries graduating from vocational programmes covering tailoring, carving, baking, hairdressing and other entrepreneurial skills.
What’s Next
The beneficiaries of the vocational and educational programmes are expected to apply their newly acquired skills towards becoming self-reliant and economically productive.
Oguntoyinbo said the movement would continue its educational, vocational and healthcare interventions, which have included health outreach programmes and the provision of medications to members of the community.
The call by Adebutu and other stakeholders also places renewed attention on the role of government, private individuals and philanthropic organisations in expanding opportunities for young Nigerians through skills development, mentorship and access to finance.
Bottom Line
The message from the Agbaletu Progressive Movement’s fifth anniversary was clear: tackling unemployment requires more than creating white-collar jobs. Greater investment in vocational skills, entrepreneurship, mentorship and affordable financing could help more young Nigerians build sustainable livelihoods, create businesses and contribute to economic growth.
