Samuel Bello, Abuja
Chairman of Dangote Group of Company, Aliko Dangote, has expressed concerns over rising unemployment rate among Nigerian youths even as he warned about the insecurity challenges ravaging the country.
Speaking in Abuja after meeting with delegates of NTA StarTimes Naija Farmers Reality TV show, led by its CEO, Dr Chigbo Okoli, Dangote said Nigeria may continue to witness insecurity challenges if the problem of unemployment is not tackled headlong. The business tycoon who was represented by Executive Director, Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications of his group, Mansur Ahmed, added that he will not relent in reducing the menace to barest minimum in his own capacity.
“Essentially, I understand that the project that has been put together under the directive of Dr Okoli with the support of NTA and government, is something that every Nigerian, corporate or individual must support because of the present situation.
“We are in crisis today, because unemployment is massive and obviously the consequential poverty in Nigeria is such that if we don’t take some very drastic measures and steps to change the direction of things, we will all be in serious trouble,” Ahmed said.
He added, “Let me say clearly that this team and Dangote Group are committed to working with other stakeholders to help lift and increase number of Nigerians that are currently below the poverty line and create conducive environment for young people to be more meaningfully engaged in productive economic activities, because that is the only way we can also address the twin problems of insecurity and unemployment.
“We believe that insecurity is a direct consequence of poverty. When there is poverty, there is likely to be insecurity. When there is insecurity, it tends to make poverty situation worse. So, we have to address this issue and I believe that all of us, at every level, have a role to play.”Ahmed said Dangote Group and the visiting delegation from the Federal Ministries of Labour and employment, Youths and sport, Women affairs, would jointly work on partnership template with a view to empowering targeted Nigerian populace. “We will deliver this message to him and I have already told Dr Okoli that we will sit down and discuss in details, the framework and define a template on how the Dangote Group/Foundation can participate and the role it will play because that is absolutely essential and where you are going to a start, otherwise you will be where you are expected to be,” he said.