By Precious Oluwole

The Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on Thursday, flagged-off the Public Service Training Institute (PSTI) Youth Empowerment Programme and also, unveiled the Institute’s e-Learning Platform.

This is aimed at enhancing the skill of the youths.

Governor Aiyedatiwa stated that “In our avowed determination to promote entrepreneurship among the young people, we have continued to provide strategic supports to groom youths for creation of wealth and prosperity for the State.

“Our administration, since assumption of office, has continued to place emphasis on fostering an enabling environment for creativity and innovation to thrive. We recognise that government alone cannot drive economic growth. It is through proactive collaboration with communities through the empowerment of our youths that we can unlock the full potential of our economy.

“In the last 100 days in office, our administration has provided purposeful leadership aimed at bridging the poverty gap through masses-oriented policies. So far, we have successfully disbursed the sum of N1.5 billion as gratuity to pensioners. We have provided a sum of N60 million as grants to young entrepreneurs. The sum of N220 million loans have been given to traders, artisans and Small and Medium Enterprises. A total of 618 young people have been trained in Tech skills; 650 personnel being recruited into the health sector, while the recruitment of 2,000 new teachers into our public primary and secondary schools is ongoing. We have also released the sum of N550 million for payment of 2024 WAEC registration fees for students in public secondary schools in the State.

“In addition to foregoing efforts geared towards promoting entrepreneurship and acquisition of technical skills among our young people, we have put machinery in place to establish two new model technical schools in Ondo State. We shall also ensure that the existing ones are put back in shape and with adequate attention. It is also worth mentioning again, that Ondo State will later in the year be hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Festival. This event will provide an avenue for our youths to showcase their skills and innovations to the rest of the world.

Governor Aiyedatiwa commend the management of PSTI for filling the gaps through the training and capacity building of not only the public servants but also hundreds of active youths at the grassroots level.

He also applaud the Institute for being at the forefront of driving impactful initiatives for the betterment of the Ondo State youth, stressing that no doubt, these bold moves would eventually bring substantial economic benefits to the State.

The Governor reassured that his administration will not rest on its oars and shall continue to support the Institute in its developmental efforts.

He, however, charged the management to continue to double its efforts in the area of service delivery to the State.

Earlier, in his remarks, Olumide Asere, the Director General of PSTI, emphasized the imperative for Nigerian youth to ready themselves for a competitive future by taking proactive steps now.

Acknowledging the role of youth as the foundation of any society, Asere stressed that issues concerning them should not be overlooked. He emphasized the program’s specific focus on youth development and skill acquisition, with notable support from the state government.

Asere highlighted that the event aimed to showcase the institute’s potential and emphasized the necessity for government investment to complement their existing achievements, including infrastructure development and personnel employment. He expressed gratitude to Governor Aiyedatiwa for his unwavering support.

Furthermore, Bayo Philips, the Head of Service, conveyed gratitude from the Office of the Head of Service to the governor. Philips, in his address, urged the youths to aspire to become job creators and emphasized the importance of hard work in achieving their goals.