July 19, (THEWILL) – The Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, has received reports from the committee of the first Youth, economic and security summit that was held in June.
The committee, led by Chief Bako Benjamin, visited the governor at the Executives’ chamber, Jalingo, to officially submit the reports of the widely publicised summit.
The three-day summit flagged off by Dr Agbu Kefas was organised to address critical issues concerning the youth, security, and economic development of the state.
In his opening address, the Executive Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas expressed his determination to fulfil his campaign promise of ensuring that 80% of his government comprises young individuals. He emphasised the importance of cultivating the right mindset among the youth to drive the administration forward effectively.
During the summit, Benjamin addressed the need for a mental transformation for the purpose of progress in the state. He noted that the summit poses to modify the mindset of youths to achieve all-round success.
“If we must make progress, then there must be a mental transformation. That is what this summit aims at achieving. We know that there is a direct correlation between idle youths and criminality.’’
“The creation of a fresh new Taraba has kick-started today, and you must count yourselves lucky to be here on time. It is time to move forward in unity for Taraba State. Success is intentional. What and who you listen to, and what you know is what frees you or imprisons you in the journey of life. I assure you that after today, you will never remain the same again. Mindset is everything. To succeed you must have a daring mindset and stop spending time in places and with persons that won’t grow you and add value to your life.’’
In general, the summit attracted a wide range of participants, including young people from the local government of Taraba State, academia, leaders from the private sector, and other stakeholders with an interest in youth development, economic growth, and security in the state.
The summit also provided a platform for participants to engage in discussions, share ideas and best practices, and explore opportunities for collaboration and partnership. It also brought together a diverse range of perspectives and expertise to address the challenges facing young people in Taraba State and identify strategies for promoting economic growth, improving security, and creating opportunities for youth development.
In the 40-page reports submitted by the committee, recommendations offered to the state government during the summit for the progress of Taraba state were highlighted. Fortunately, some of them have been adopted by Governor Agbu Kefas-led administration.
The report asserted that in the education sector, it was recommended that the state enact a subsidy, grant scholarships to Tarabans, establish vocational centres and introduce a reward system in Primary and Secondary schools.
In the last few weeks, Dr Agbu Kefas has subsidised tertiary institution fees by 50% and declared free primary and secondary school education, as recommended by the summit.
Apart from the education sector, recommendations were also made on Agriculture, economy, and security sectors were also captured in the reports.
According to the report, Keynote speakers touched majorly on Education and skill development, Youth employment and entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, economic development of Taraba state, security and conflict resolution.
Holistically, the reports captured the success, challenges, recommendations, keynote speakers, participants and every activity that took place at the Youth, economic and security summit in Taraba state.
In his response, Dr Agbu Kefas appreciated the committee for their steadfastness and commitment to ensuring the summit became a huge success. He also reiterated his plans to adopt the recommendations made at the summit.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
