Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday, has disclosed why young people were appointed into the Federal Executive Council as ministers and aides
Gbajabiamila, speaker of the ninth House of Representatives, said the need to give young people a chance and prepare them to take up more leadership roles in the near future informed the decision of the president.
Gbajabiamila spoke in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the second cohort of the legislative mentorship initiative (LMI), hosted by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
He said: “When young people are engaged in productive economic pursuits that can provide for their needs, they are better positioned to participate in politics and governance from a position of strength.
“This is one of the reasons the administration of President Bola Tinubu is determined to rebuild the foundations of our national economy so that our nation becomes more attractive to the foreign and local capital we need to build essential public infrastructure, develop new industries, build our communities and create sufficient numbers of well-paying jobs to meet the demands of the large and growing population of young people in our country.
“I thank NILDS Director General, Abubakar Sulaiman, for his dedicated stewardship of LMI. I salute the efforts of all who continue to give time and resources to sustain the vision of the LMI and ensure the dream of its founding will never die. We are all partners in this joint task of nation-building, and together, we will achieve, as in the words of our national anthem, a nation bound in freedom and unity, where peace and justice reign.”
In his earlier remarks, Director General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman, emphasised the importance of the mentorship initiative.
He said: “You will recall that the LMI is the brainchild of Gbajabiamila, and was initiated with the vision of fostering a vibrant and well-equipped legislative cadre capable of navigating the complexities of governance and delivering effective representation to the Nigerian people.
“Over the past year, the LMI has successfully guided a cohort of promising young Nigerians through an intensive mentorship programme, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and networks necessary to excel in the legislative arena.
“As this programme is entrusted to NILDS, a premier institution dedicated to legislative research and capacity building, we are confident that the programme will continue to flourish and reach new heights.
“NILDS’ expertise, resources, and institutional framework will provide the LMI with the stability and support it needs to make an even greater impact on the future of Nigerian democracy.
“Moving forward, we envision the LMI becoming an annual mentorship programme for emerging young people, attracting a larger and more diverse pool of participants from across the nation.
This will not only broaden the pool of talented individuals involved in the programme but also provide more opportunities for mentorship and personal growth. This annual cycle will ensure a continuous pipeline of talented and well-prepared individuals ready to assume leadership roles in our legislatures.
“As part of my commitment to this initiative, permit me to use this medium to announce to you that the best participant(s) will be awarded an employment offer with NILDS. Therefore, I urge the participants to put in their best and consider this a rare opportunity to take advantage of.”
