By Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has reiterated the determination of his administtation to ensure that every young person in Benue State has the preparation and the perspective to face life with confidence, and the assurance that he or she will have the opportunity to succeed.
Ortom stated this while declaring open the three-day Benue Youth Summit held at Aper Aku stadium, Makurdi, the state capital on Wednesday.
He noted that while the government cannot force everyone to be successful, it has a duty to ensure that everyone has the chance to succeed and that no one fails for lack of opportunity.
The Governor who posited that it was important for young people to have the preparation, perspective and opportunity to succeed went down memory lane and told the story of how he rose from nobody to become somebody in life.
The governor explained further that the nation is in a changing world which, according to him, had created new opportunities for the present generation such as the ICT and digital revolution that previously only existed in science fiction.
He commended many Nigerian youths, including a few from Benue, who had become notable figures in the new world of fashion, sports, arts and entertainment, as well as music, film, comedy and other creative enterprises.
The governor who intimated that all the aforementioned have become routes to self-actualisation for many young Nigerians said many youths in other parts of the country were already having doors of opportunity in other sectors of economy like transport, education, health, media among others.
Ortom while explaining that the state had comparative advantage in agriculture, said that his administration had not only supported farmers through subsidized fertilizers but has also gone into partnership with Bank of Industry for farmers to have access to loan.
He therefore encouraged Benue youths to venture into agriculture through the loans available at the Bank of Industry, stressing that such loans only attract five percent interest rate.