Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Adewumi Adeyemi, a lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency, have called for increased participation of youths and fresh graduates in the agricultural sector. They also urged the government to provide student loans to willing graduates and youths to address unemployment and food inflation.
Speaking at the ProjectYouthSpark event organized by the School of Politics, Policy and Governance in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, where over 200 youths were selected to participate, both leaders emphasized the importance of agriculture for economic growth and job creation.
Governor Adeleke highlighted the strategic steps his administration has taken to tackle unemployment in the state, including job fairs, agro-industrial activities, and vocational training programs. He stressed the significance of these initiatives in reducing unemployment.
Lawmaker Adewumi Adeyemi added, "Like student loans, the federal government should provide agricultural loans to youths and graduates who have shown capacity in this area. Agriculture is a way to grow; no matter the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), everyone will still need to eat."
Olufemi Olaosun, the team lead for ProjectYouthSpark, explained that the project aims to equip and empower young people in Osun State. "For the next few weeks, we will train 200 youths on job hunting and provide some of them with grants for business," he said.
