The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin has called on developed countries to support young Nigerian entrepreneurs to boost the country’s Small and Medium scale enterprises.
The Speaker made this appeal on Monday while speaking at the 2nd International Forum (Development of Parliamentarian) organized by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in Moscow, Russia on “The Role Of Youth in Parliamentarianism.”
While addressing over 800 lawmakers and representatives from 131 countries which include Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, the 32year old Speaker, noted that investment opportunities abound in Nigeria and that the active youth consists of over 60 per cent of its almost 200 million population.
According to Hon. Ogundoyin, “Calling for nations legislative collaboration towards solving our common and peculiar challenges ranging from insecurity, cyber crime, youths unemployment, women and children policies, freedom of speech and other international issues is an approach towards cooperation and development.
“I am telling the world and my fellow parliamentarians across nations that Nigeria has the highest number of active, talented and skillful youths in Africa.
“As a developing country, we truly have surmountable challenges especially in the area of insecurity, unemployment and inadequate infrastructures.
“Thus, we seek the support of the developed countries to invest in our human capital, our people, the youths through growing the small and medium enterprises section of the economy so that our youths can be empowered and consequently distance themselves from crime and other social vices.”
The Speaker said further, “For instance in my State, agriculture is the main occupation of the people and the climate in the state favours the cultivation of crops like maize, yam, cassava, millet, rice, plantains, cocoa, palm trees, cashew, this is one viable aspect our friends across countries can collaborate and support us”.
Chairman of Duma, Viacheslav Volodin, said that about 85 countries were at the level of official parliamentary delegation including 37 from the African continent.
Mr. Volodin added that the forum comprised of parliamentarians, scholars, experts and representatives of civil societies from different countries to promote a unifying agenda for the international parliamentary cooperation.
He emphasized that the Forum will also avail the parliamentarians to collaborate and meet towards providing effective legislative solutions and responses to global challenges.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
