By Precious Mark
The Federal Government and the Taraba State Government have strengthened collaboration on youth empowerment following official engagements in Jalingo.
The partnership was highlighted during the launch of the Taraba State Youth Empowerment Programme, where Governor Agbu Kefas unveiled a N500 million soft grant alongside the Taraba State Youth Development Roadmap (2026–2031) and Long-Term Youth Agenda 2050.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, commended Governor Kefas for backing youth policies with concrete funding.
He emphasized that federal initiatives require active subnational partnerships to reach young people across every part of the country.
“The intervention in Taraba complements what we are doing at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development through NiYA StartUp, supporting young Nigerians to build businesses, create jobs, and solve problems,” Olawande said.
“The Federal Government cannot reach every young person alone. We need states, the private sector, and other partners working alongside us. If more states make deliberate investments like Taraba, we can reach more young Nigerians, grow more businesses, and turn our large youth population into a true national advantage,” he added.
The Minister also commended the leadership of Hon. Prince Gara Soyongha Nongha, Executive Chairman of the Taraba State Youth Development Agency, for executing the governor’s vision.
During his visit, Olawande received an award from the Future-Ready Youth Initiative, founded by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Deborah John.
Olawande also unveiled a book titled ‘Future Ready’, for which he wrote the foreword.
The minister also visited the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Jalingo, encouraging corps members to maximize their service year for skill acquisition and national service.