By Danjuma Michael, Katsina
Stakeholders, yesterday, warned of dire consequences should the problem of youth unemployment be left unattended to in the country.
The stakeholders, consisting of academicians, representatives of non-governmental organisations, traditional institutions and security agencies, agreed that youth unemployment posed great threat to the nation’s security.
They spoke during the graduation and yearly lecture series of the Katsina Vocational Training Centre, Katsina State, where 200 trainees that included women and girls received cash grants and start-up equipment.
The vocational centre, founded by former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), M.D. Yusuf, has trained and empowered thousands of youths for more than a decade across the state.
The former Wazirin Katsina, Dr. Abubkara Lugga, who spoke at the ceremony, said from researches made, it is difficult to separate youth unemployment from the prevalence of security challenges in any nation.
Lugga said it was impossible for youths not to cause unrest when they have nothing doing, but see the children of politicians living in affluence spending monies they didn’t work for.
According to him, you cannot stop insecurity, drug abuse and related criminality when the youths are unemployed or have nothing doing.
He, therefore, warned that youth unemployment should be given priority by government at all levels, or else the problem posed by the Boko Haram sect in northeastern part of the country may become a child’s play.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutsinma, Prof. Armaya’u Bichi, traced the origin of Boko Haram to youth environment.
Bichi said youths in Borno State and its environs used to fish at the Lake Chad, sell at the markets and use the money to take care of themselves and family.
He, however, said that when Lake Chad later dried up, many of the youths became redundant, making the Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, to assist them with money and food items, adding that with nothing to do, the youths became dependent on Yusuf.
Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Masari, who was represented by the Head of Service, Idris Tune, commended the centre for its consistent effort at empowering the youths in the state.
Masari said the centre’s effort was in line with his administration’s policy of youth empowerment through provision of funds and facilities for the young ones to have something doing.
