APC “change” mantra not political slogan – Buhari

 ABUJA – President Mohammadu Buhari on
Wednesday in Abuja said that his government has
resolved to provide the necessary infrastructures
that would create employments for the teeming
youth in the country.
 According to him, unemployment was one of the
major challenges facing Nigeria and the African
continent as many graduates were yet to get jobs.
The president who recalled 2011 African Leaders
summit in Malabo, Equatorial Genuea also said that it
was the responsibility of the government to create
jobs, saying that the “change” principle of the the
ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was not a
political slogan but commitment to the dawn of a
new era.
Speaking at an event organized by the Ministry of
Youth Development to mark 2015 World Youth Day
with the theme “Civic Engagement”, president Buhari
however appealed to the youth to be patient with his
government.
He remarked that Africa has the highest population
of youth amongst the continents of the world, saying
it was neither good nor bad.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you may wish
to note that Africa is the most ‘youthful’ continent in
the world. According to the figures I have been
presented with, at least 20 percent of the continent’s
population of 1.2 billion is between the age bracket
of 15 – 24 years, with about 42% below 15 years of
age. As the rest of the world gets older, Africa is
getting younger. This is neither a good thing nor a
bad thing. It all depends on what we make of it.
“Therefore, one of the greatest challenges facing
governments and policy makers in Africa today is
how to provide opportunities and meet the needs of
young people, the vast majority of whom need to be
empowered to enable them to lead decent lives and
contribute their quota to the socio economic and
political development of their countries.
“Correctly harnessed, this tremendous labour force
could propel us to take a quantum leap in developing
our infrastructure so that Nigeria can join the 21st
Century.
“Some of you may recall that African leaders, at the
Malabo 2011Summit, committed themselves to
providing employment, whether directly or
indirectly, for at least 3% of its unemployed young
people every year. For us, the meeting in Malabo
2011, marked another turning point in the
continent’s quest for development. The summit
adopted that all member States should advance the
youth agenda and adopt policies and mechanisms
towards the creation of safe, decent and competitive
employment opportunities.