Tinubu to youth: You’re Nigeria’s greatest assets, keep dreaming big

President Bola Tinubu used his Independence Day broadcast to send a special message to Nigerian youths, describing them “the greatest assets of this blessed country.”

Tinubu highlighted government programmes like NELFUND student loans, YouthCred for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and the iDICE initiative for creative and tech industries.

The president, who promised more opportunities for youths, said over 510,000 students have already benefited from loans.

Tinubu said: “I have a message for our young people. You are the future and the greatest assets of this blessed country. You must continue to dream big, innovate, and conquer more territories in your various fields of science, technology, sports, and the art and creative sector.

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“Our administration, through policies and funding, will continue to give you wings to fly sky-high.  We created NELFUND to support students with loans for their educational pursuits. Approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions. As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7 billion.

“Credicorp, another initiative of our administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices, and more.

“YouthCred, which I promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement.

“Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, we promised to build a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of background, has an equitable opportunity to access a better future — thus, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. The Bank of Industry is driving the programme, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, and the Islamic Development Bank.

“This initiative is at the cusp of implementation. Over the last two years, we have collaborated with our partners to launch the programme, supporting our young builders and dreamers in the technology and creative sectors.”

The Star