By Uzairu Dauda:
A former Head of Service with the Gombe State Government, Mr Daniel Musa Mohammed, has called on the governors of Bauchi and Gombe states to take urgent steps toward reviving the stalled Kolmani oil exploration project.
Mohammed made the call at the BACAS Grand Convention and 50th Golden Jubilee celebration held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Yelwa, Bauchi.
He said the successful development of the Kolmani oil project would create employment opportunities for young people and help address the rising unemployment challenge in the Northeast and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the region faces significant gaps in education and youth participation, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, where prolonged conflict and displacement have disrupted educational enrolment, livelihoods, mobility and other social activities.
Mohammed said the Northeast has a large population of unemployed, uneducated and unskilled youths, a situation he said contributes to high dependency ratios, increased consumption, low investment capacity and vulnerability to social problems, including crime and substance abuse.
He noted that unemployment among young people also deprives the nation of valuable labour and productivity, with wider implications for economic growth, social stability and security.
The former Head of Service therefore urged governments, communities and other stakeholders to work together to harness the region’s abundant natural resources and create sustainable employment and economic opportunities for its growing youth population.
Also speaking, Dr Loise Nanzing Daniel of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, Jos, warned that excluding young people from meaningful participation in society could have serious consequences, including reduced innovation and increased mental distress.
She called for greater unity and inclusion across the Northeast, urging the people of the region to embrace their diversity, bridge their differences and work together in the spirit of inclusiveness.
She stressed that greater youth inclusion and collaboration would help unlock the potential of the region’s young population and contribute to its overall development.