The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has led a high-level engagement tour in Edo State, visiting key institutions to strengthen collaboration and enhance the impact of youth-focused programmes.
The tour, which commenced recently, included visits to the Edo State Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Edo State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Okada, Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
At the Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Minister held strategic discussions with state officials, focusing on aligning federal and state youth development initiatives to ensure improved coordination, inclusiveness, and accessibility for young people across the state.
Speaking during the engagement, Olawande emphasized the importance of synergy between all tiers of government in delivering programmes that directly impact youths, noting that collaboration remains key to achieving sustainable development outcomes.
The Minister also met with the leadership of the NYCN in Edo State, where he engaged youth representatives on their priorities and challenges. The interaction, he said, was essential to ensuring that youth voices are incorporated into policy formulation and governance processes.
At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Okada, Olawande conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the ongoing orientation exercise. He interacted with prospective corps members and camp officials, gaining firsthand insights into their experiences and identifying areas requiring continuous improvement.
He noted that such engagements are critical to ensuring that national youth policies translate into tangible and measurable outcomes at the grassroots level.
The visit forms part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to deepen youth participation, strengthen institutional collaboration, and improve the delivery of programmes targeted at young Nigerians.
