The Osun State gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), has assured youths in the state of a government that will place them at the centre of decision making through political inclusion, creative economy, youth and sport development.
Oyebamiji gave the assurance during the Osun Youths Interactive Session held at Adolak Event Centre, Osogbo, where youths from different sectors, including students, professionals, civil society organisations, artisans, community groups and other youth clusters, engaged him on his vision for the state.
The interactive session, organised by the Directorate of Youths, Students, Osun All Progressive Congress (APC) Campaign Council, was designed as a platform for young people to understand the APC candidate’s PROSPERITY Agenda and engage directly on issues affecting their future.
Oyebamiji expressed confidence in his electoral prospects, noting that his campaign engagements across the 30 local government areas of Osun State had provided him with direct understanding of the expectations and aspirations of the people.
“We shall be duly elected come August 15th. This is because we have traversed all the 30 local government areas of the state in three different periods: the pre-primary period, the period of inaugurating the party canvassers, and finally the direct campaign interface with the people of Osun State,” he said.
Osun APC governorship candidate identified sport as a critical sector capable of driving economic growth and creating opportunities for young people. He disclosed that he had been holding strategic consultations on sports development and envisioned a strong sports club in the Southwest where governors across the region could collaborate to promote sporting excellence.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Directorate of Youths, Students and Civil Society, Hon. Ayodele David Asalu (Asler), described the gathering as more than a political meeting, noting that it was designed as an open conversation between the candidate and young people across different backgrounds.
Asalu said the future of Osun State required young people to be active participants in governance rather than merely being mobilised during elections. He stressed that issues such as education, employment, skills development, entrepreneurship, technology, creative economy and youth participation in government remained central to the concerns of young people.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Kehinde Ayantunji while discussing the expectations of interactive section said the current administration in the state has destroyed sports infrastructure and have little or no achievement on youth development.
According to him, for almost four years, the state deos not have a common football pitch to play ordinary local league while the youth virtuous values have been replaced with brigandagde and thuggery which makes the youth population less productive.
The Lead Discussant, Dr. Lekan Olatunji, explained that the PROSPERITY Agenda was developed with youth inclusion as a major focus, stressing that young people were involved in shaping the manifesto.
According to him, youths would not only participate in the development process but would also be involved in implementation and evaluation of government programmes.
He noted that with about 67 per cent of Osun’s population below the age of 40, any meaningful development strategy must recognise young people as the drivers of productivity and economic growth.
Olatunji highlighted key areas of the agenda, including improved education, skills development, support for small and medium enterprises, talent development, creative economy, sports, agriculture and youth-focused wealth creation initiatives.
He also emphasised plans to activate the state’s free trade zone through a public-private partnership model that would support production, fashion, talent showcases and annual festivals aimed at discovering and developing young talents.
Speaking on sports and youth empowerment, the Chairman of the Osun Football Association, Mr. Sola Fanawopo, stressed the need to prioritise sports development as an economic sector. He advocated the establishment of basic sports facilities across the nine federal constituencies of the state to encourage grassroots talent discovery and development.
The Deputy Governorship Candidate, Engr. Benjamin Adereti, also assured the youths that they would play a significant role in the direction of the AMBO administration. He promised increased digital penetration, stronger investment in technology-driven governance, and continuous training and retraining of the workforce.
Adereti challenged young people to prepare themselves to take ownership of opportunities, stressing that the future of Osun’s economy would require skilled and innovative young leaders.
Chairman of the occasion, Eng. Olamilekan Badmus urged the youths to vote massively for Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji in August 15, Governorship election assuring the youth the the future and economic prosperity of the state is secure under Oyebamiji.
The session featured a panel discussion and interactive question-and-answer segment, providing participants with the opportunity to engage the APC candidate on issues relating to education, employment, entrepreneurship, governance and youth inclusion.
The event reaffirmed the commitment of the Osun APC Campaign Council’s Directorate of Youths, Students and Civil Society to creating platforms where young people can participate meaningfully in discussions about the future direction of the state. The Directorate had earlier stated that the engagement was intended to go beyond party lines by allowing young people to interrogate ideas and understand the policy direction of the candidate.
