By Njoki Githinji
SABON LUGBE, NOVEMBER 17, 2020(CISA) – Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja has encouraged youth to use their talents and time in personal trade and volunteer work in order to stay productive and curb youth unemployment.
“You must not sit back in total anticipation of white collar jobs, I encourage you to offer voluntary services and develop your skills in the smallest possible way you can. We all need prudent and profitable use of time, talent and resources in order to give good account of our earthly stewardship,” he said in his November 15 homily at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Sabon Lugbe.
“After graduating with a university degree, do not wait for white collar jobs; rather, engage in any petty trade. We urge our youth, to use their raw energy, intelligence and creativity positively, not for destruction and fraudulent activities,” he added.
Archbishops Kaigama also encouraged government leaders to offer conducive environment and help people who have gifts to employ them and create more opportunities for Nigerians.
“I therefore call on our leaders to generate good job opportunities and create avenues for skills acquisition so that our youth can nourish our country with their great talents,” he said with hope that “the jobs that have been promised to youths by the Federal Government will not end up being for family and friends of those who matter.”
The archbishop noted that the country needs to channel its resources into human capacity building and productive ventures “instead of our overdependence on oil, foreign aid and aggressive borrowing from other countries.”
“We are blessed with huge agricultural potentials to make us self-reliant and our youth gainfully employed, and there is no reason to be referred to as ‘the poverty capital of the world’,” said Archbishop Kaigama.
