Use digital skills to explore opportunities, Ogun gov’t tells youths

The Ogun State government has asked Nigerian youths to put their digital skills to use in harnessing the opportunities in non-oil exportation. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olu Aikulola, made this known in Ijebu-Ode, at a workshop on youth empowerment organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), […]

The Ogun State government has asked Nigerian youths to put their digital skills to use in harnessing the opportunities in non-oil exportation.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olu Aikulola, made this known in Ijebu-Ode, at a workshop on youth empowerment organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), in collaboration with the state government.

Represented by the Director of Commerce, Olalere Ariyibi-Opaleye, the permanent secretary underscored the importance of youth empowerment, describing it as an avenue that would give them the push to take control of their future.

Aikulola stated that the innate power within the younger generation is capable of making the world a much better place, saying the youth at the moment have the best opportunity to key into the ongoing diversification process from oil to non-oil products in Nigeria.

 The permanent secretary stated that youth empowerment should be sustained in order to equip the leaders of tomorrow with the requisite skills to key into export business, thereby strengthening the state, and improving Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which has a direct impact on the standard of living.

 “We are all talking about diversification of our economy from oil to the exportation of agricultural products and other non-oil products. It is expedient of our youths to take full advantage of this opportunity, as well as equip themselves to be part of the team that will take Ogun and Nigeria to the desired position in digital exposition and export business,” Aikulola said.

In her welcome address, the State Coordinator, NEPC, Mrs Francisca Odega, said the youth population was a great asset to any economy, adding that the council launched the Youth Export Programme (YEP) a few weeks ago to create a platform for mainstreaming youth into the non-oil export value chain.

She pointed out that many Nigerian youths have embraced the non-oil export business which has changed various export ventures in diverse sectors, including sports, education, entertainment, fashion, and agriculture, among others.