From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Uche Secondus, have called for massive investment in education of youths, as a way of curbing insecurity and poverty in the country.

The trio made the call, in Abuja, on Thursday, at the launching of an education foundation, owned by a former national chairman of PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

Atiku, who was represented by one of his associates, Mohammed Jamil, stated that the foundation represents an urgent effort to save “our frail nation from the resultant negative impact of poor public investment in Human Capital Development.”

The former Vice President noted that the country’s poor investment in education is responsible for the “large army of out of school children, legion of the unemployed, rampaging insecurity, rising poverty rate and persistent underdevelopment”.

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According to him, “This calls for all hands to be on deck to break the vicious circle of illiteracy, unemployment, poverty and insecurity that has imprisoned our youth and nation as a whole”

“This can be achieved if we continue to advocate for increased public and private investment in youth development and empowerment. It is a step that should be taken with all sense of urgency.

“As at the second quarter of 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 13.9 million Nigerian youths are currently unemployed. It further shows that the highest unemployment rate was recorded for youths between 15 — 24 years 40.8%; and followed by ages 25 — 34 years at 30.7%”.

Saraki, in his remarks at the event, attributed the security challenges in the country, to poor attention to education of youths, especially in the areas of moral and spiritual upliftment.

The former Senate President charged government at all levels, as well as traditional rulers to invest more in moral and spiritual education of youths.