AU, foundation collaborate to create jobs for Ebonyi youths

The African Union Commission and a non-governmental organisation, the Golden Heart Foundation, have collaborated to provide jobs for youths in Ebonyi State.

The Commission stated that the insecurity in the land was particularly because of unemployment. It additionally noted that about 65 per cent of the African population consist of youths around 35 years old, depicting it as a resource to the region.

The Chairman of the African Union 6th Region, Dr Macaulay Kalu, disclosed this on Monday in Ebonyi at the Grand Finale of a 3-Day Mentorship Master Class, with the subject, ‘Ebonyi Youths Project’.

As indicated by him, “1n 2019, the African Union launched an initiative after a lot of assessment consultations concerning the challenges of the region. The population of the Continent of Africa is more of youths. We have 65% of the population under 35 years. That makes Africa the most populated Continent in terms of the youths. That’s what we call an asset (Human Capital Asset).

“With that, the continent, through the African Union Commission has been doing a lot to see what it can do in solving this unemployment situation among the youths.

“I was opportune as a Nigerian myself, of having the privilege of connecting the Diaspora community with what is going on in the Continent, because a lot of our young people are really going through a lot. A point in question is how so many of them are crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, through Panama to US and this has been deadly. It calls for so much attention around the world.

“Now, having gone through all this, we have come to terms with the fact that only Africans can solve African problems. There are a lot of discussions, conversations and all that, going on across the Continent.

“So, to really bring down some of these benefits I have talked about here in Africa, one of the partners we met is the Golden Heart Foundation, which has been doing a lot in youth empowerment for the past 15 years.

“Having visited other states, the President decided to partner with us in state by state youth empowerment programme to put to practice all the theories talked about. This is because in Africa, we talk more of theories than practicals.”

“The level of insecurity as we witness in the country now is because of unemployment. So, if we can get our youths engaged doing something worthwhile and provide a support system for them, there would be little or no insecurity in the land.”

Additionally speaking, the Coordinator of Ebonyi Golden Heart Foundation, Mr Chukwudi Abana, stated that the Masterclass was aimed at creating jobs through human capital growth, training and mentorship of youths in Ebonyi State.

He said, “The mentorship masterclass for this year has in attendance entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, business people, civil servants and students from the entire 13 Local Government Area of the state.

“This Masterclass has created a mind shift, exposing global opportunities that exist and how Ebonyi indigenes can cash into them.”