By George Ozalla
The Director General of the National Council for Civil Society Organisations (NACCSO) and Vision-One Leadership Development Initiative (VOLDI), Rt. Comrade Emmanuel Johnny, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase funding and improve logistics for federal agencies responsible for youth empowerment, entrepreneurship development and support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), saying the move is essential to tackling unemployment, crime and other security challenges confronting the country.
Johnny made the call while convening the 2026 National Stakeholders, Civil Society and Youth Summit against Unemployment, Deforestation, Terrorism, Oil Theft, Piracy, Kidnapping, Illegal Mining, Violent Extremism and Human Rights Violation in Nigeria, held at the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja.
Addressing participants drawn from government institutions, civil society organisations and youth groups, Johnny said Nigeria must adopt a preventive approach to addressing insecurity by investing more in youth development rather than concentrating resources solely on combating crime after it has occurred.
He stated that government agencies established to provide vocational training, entrepreneurship development, digital skills, business support and employment opportunities should be adequately funded to deliver their mandates effectively.
“No government agency saddled with the responsibility of equipping the youth should be denied the resources required to carry out effective empowerment programmes,” he said.
Johnny further stated that unemployment and poverty continue to expose many young people to criminal activities, insisting that sustainable investments in skills acquisition, industrial development and enterprise support would significantly reduce the attraction to kidnapping, terrorism, oil theft, piracy, illegal mining and other forms of criminality.
He stressed that the Federal Government should strengthen agencies with proven capacity to drive youth empowerment programmes, including the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), as well as other relevant institutions involved in enterprise development and job creation.
According to him, expanding access to vocational education, digital innovation, business grants and financial support for entrepreneurs would stimulate economic growth, create sustainable livelihoods and strengthen national security.
Johnny therefore urged President Tinubu to establish special intervention funding for the agencies to enable them expand their programmes and reach more unemployed Nigerians, particularly young people seeking skills, employment and opportunities to start or grow businesses.
He also assured that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) would monitor the implementation of all youth empowerment and SME intervention programmes to ensure transparency, accountability and value for public funds.
Participants at the summit unanimously advocated increased investment in skills acquisition, job creation, entrepreneurship and the strategic application of technology, maintaining that sustained youth empowerment remains one of the most effective long-term strategies for reducing crime and promoting national development.
