By Philip Yatai
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has unveiled the FCT Renewed Hope Youth Empowerment Programme with the distribution of 80 vehicles to the youths.
Wike, at the event in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the goal was to empower the youths financially and also reduce the cost of transportation in the FCT.
He said that the programme was part of FCT Administration’s efforts to empower and develop the youths to contribute meaningfully to the development of the territory.
He explained that the vehicles would be used as a pilot transportation scheme in Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape before expanding to other parts of the FCT.
He added that more vehicles would be procured and distributed to other beneficiaries across all areas of the FCT, including area councils.
He said that the brand new vehicles, painted in FCT colour, would be given to the first set of beneficiaries free but on the condition that they charge less transport fee from residents.
“This is our support to make sure you have something to feed on, to make sure you feed your family and also to reduce the cost of transportation in the city.
“We will bring in more vehicles because by January, we will not have any taxi that is not profiled and painted in FCT colour to operate on our roads,” he said.
The Minister said that the programme would also phase out commercial tricycle operating in the city.
He explained that the N10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for the empowerment and development of the youths announced earlier, would be made available subject to availability of funds.
He asked the Mandate Secretary, Youth Development Secretariat, FCTA, Mr Abdullahi Ango, to come up with a programme or a proposal on how the youth would benefit from the funds.
He said that the proposed programme could either be skills acquisition or anything that would help the youths.
“But I am not going to approve conferences, conferences do not help any youths.
“Draw up a programme on what the government will do with the money to improve the life of the youth, because the N10 billion must be critically utilised.
“We are prepared to do anything that will change the lives of the youths in FCT,” the minister said.
Earlier, Ango thanked the Minister for the gesture, saying: “This intervention has never happened in the history of the FCT. We never had it this good.
“You are a blessing to the people of FCT and a blessing to the entire nation.”
He explained that the 80 vehicles comprised 20 Toyota hiace buses, 30 GAC SUVs and 30 Suzuki mini buses.
He urged the beneficiaries, who would be profiled by security agencies to use the vehicles for the purpose they were meant for and in the designated locations to be financially independent. (NAN)
