By Smart Emmanuel
Nigeria says it has set up structures to create three million jobs for the Nigerian youth through the 3 Million Technical Talent (MTT) Programme.
The 3MTT Programme, which is an incubator for the education and skills desired to enhance the capacity and value of the youths in national security intelligence will be driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this in Abuja on Monday at the Nigeria Police Youth Summit with the theme “Enhancing the Nigerian Youth Value for National Security Intelligence”.
Represented by the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Baba Ndace, the Minister said, “The 3MTT Programme is an affirmation of President Tinubu’s vision of factoring youth development into the overall national development strategy. To lay a formidable framework towards achieving this, the administration is also prioritizing the economic security of Nigerian youths, towards building a more secure and prosperous country,” he said.
Idris said the enactment of Nigerian Education Loan (NEL) Fund, which is currently providing loan and financial support for Nigerian students, is one of the notable initiatives under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at making significant impact on the educational pursuit of the youth.
Speaking on the high cost of transportation in the country, the Minister said the introduction of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) policy by the President, seeks to leverage the nation’s sufficiency in gas to bring down the cost of transportation by about 70%.
Idris, therefore, enjoined the youth to latch onto government policies and explore them for personal comfort, economic growth and empowerment.
The Minister also stressed the need for the youth to imbibe the necessary morals and values in order to play their expected roles in national security intelligence.
“Better still, the renaissance identified with the crucial national security intelligence role for our youths cannot come without the necessary value reorientation. The expected Nigeria’s Values Charter initiated by this administration, spearheaded by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), will serve as a blueprint for a national value system, defining us as Nigerians and strengthening our personality and roles as citizens,” he said.
The Minister, however, warned the youth on the national security implications of spreading fake news, disinformation, and misinformation, saying this nefarious conduct, is a flagrant abuse of the freedom expression, which the present administration upholds.
“Where much is given, much is expected. We must acknowledge that disinformation intersects with significant national security threats, including incitement over anarchy and instability, transnational crimes, terrorism, banditry and their financing, violent extremism, and malicious cyber activity,” he stated.