Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Nigerian youths to prepare for the new global economic realities occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony and inaugural meeting of the Kogi Professionals Youth Network, the former president said Covid-19 has caused unprecedented economic
destruction and disruptions, adding that young people must prepare their minds and work hard to be able to cope financially in a post-Covid-19 world.
He noted that the two biggest economic consequences of the pandemic would be food security/affordability
and job losses.
The elder statesman therefore called on government at all levels to seek ways to create fresh employment opportunities through agriculture.
“Young Professionals must also begin to think outside the box and
should engage in agriculture”, the former President added.
He advised young people to identify a business along the vast agricultural value-chain to get involved in, to be able to contain the twin problems of unemployment and food shortages.
He commended the organizers of the event, which was held via Zoom at the weekend, for their foresight and patriotism, and urged them to remain steadfast in the struggle for a better Nigeria.
Speaking earlier, president of the group, Engr Michael Ajayi, lamented the slow pace of development in Kogi state inspite of its abundance of talents and resources, adding that the group would create a platform for the ventilation of ideas that would address the yawning gap.
In his keynote address, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Bayo Ojo, identified key priority areas the Kogi Young Professionals should focus on if they want to contribute meaningfully to the post-Covid-19 development of the state.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who also hails from Kogi, harped on the need to boost the capacity of the state workforce and incorporate innovation as solutions to some of the problems occasioned by the pandemic.
