Art aficionado, Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, has urged all tiers of government to develop focused skills platforms for the youths to harness their talents for national growth.Mbanefo-Obiago said such efforts would allow most of the youths to fend for themselves.
According to her, the present generation of youths in the country is in a haste to make money, as such appropriate platforms should be created for them to earn a living through hard work.
“Making money has to be from working hard and with different platforms and support from government it can bring about a change of attitude for them to grow.
“The youths should be made to be serious about things, but because of neglect they enter into various vices and seem not to care about progress or helping themselves,’’ she said.The curator noted that the youth could be engaged in various trades such as shoe making, auto mechanic, barbing, hairdressing, beads making and host of others to support themselves.
She believed that when the youths were fully engaged and nurtured to fend for themselves, the society would be the better for it.
Mbanefo-Obiago suggested that school curriculum be reviewed to make products of the school system enterprising and responsible, so as to engineer the kind of change required in the country.
“Government need to match their words with action by focusing more on the youths; and universities should also teach crafts instead of only academics.
“If there are platforms, we will make a head way but if there is none, I am afraid,’’ she said.
According to her, such initiative would help reduce existing gaps between leaders and youths in the country.
“We have to begin from the local base; we are lagging behind very much because we have not given the youths the chance to express themselves.
“We need to wake up if we want to move forward and allow the young generation do things that can help the growth of the country, through technology,’’ she added.