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Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has praised Nigerian youths for showcasing their talents on the global stage, despite the country’s challenges.
Hamzat highlighted the impressive contributions of Nigerian youths in areas like science, medicine, music, and technology, noting that their talent export continues to bring pride to the nation. He urged the youth to take advantage of available opportunities to become self-reliant.
The deputy governor made these remarks on Saturday at a National Youth Symposium with the theme “Nigeria: Guiding the Youth on the Path to Self-Reliance,” held in Lagos to celebrate his 60th birthday.
Hamzat said the youths had continued to excel in science, medicine, and music, among other fields, on the world stage.
The deputy governor further said the advent of the Internet had presented global opportunities for youths to excel and urged them to learn how to manage their time and resources to become more successful.
“We must engage and encourage our youth. These are pivotal moments in Nigeria. Many have lost hope in reversing negative trends. It’s not right that our youths have no future. I am upbeat and optimistic about this country because of our youth.
“Our music keeps the world dancing. Creativity in technology by our youths has soared very high. Your stars keep shining in the world of football. Nigerians are heading everywhere in the world. We must not allow negativity to define us, we must define ourselves. I salute the courage, resilience, and tenacity of our young people,” Hamzat said.
He admitted that the country was facing socio-economic challenges and insecurity, but despite these issues, he noted that foreigners were coming into the country to invest and make money.
“Our problems are surmountable and there are opportunities there. What is it that foreigners are seeing that we are not seeing? We must shine our eyes. We must look back at our history. Our youths are very dynamic,” Hamzat said.
In his contribution, the former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun (SAN), while speaking on the topic “Why are we here?” said despite the challenges in the country, there were many untapped resources for youths to become self-reliant.
“You are not looking at any individual, you are looking at your resourcefulness and resilience to take you through. The youths must learn not to depend on the system around them but on their resourcefulness and resilience,” he said.
He urged the youth to emulate the deputy governor by being exemplary in their dealings.
“The deputy governor is an exemplary leader embodied by education. The government should remove obstacles that prevent youths from accessing the resources of the land. It should not be only for the children of the rich. Nigerian youths should have access to these resources,” he said.
Fagbohun further urged the youths to make use of the knowledge garnered at the symposium to better their lives and the country.
“In a country as diverse as Nigeria, Nigerian youth here should recognise that they are representing other youths. The knowledge you gain here, share it on various platforms, resonate it. Knowledge shared will improve you and deepen your knowledge,” he added.
Speaking during the symposium, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the availability of land for agricultural purposes had been a challenge in the state, and there were measures to ease access to land.
Olusanya said the state was developing organised markets to ensure that even farmers from other states tap into the opportunities.
The commissioner said, “We have done capacity building and provided entrepreneurial support for the youth in the agricultural sector. If you want success in the agricultural space, you must have youths who are capable and have the skills to scale up food production. We need to push for those who have agricultural qualifications.”
