…Beneficiaries to receive ₦30,000 monthly salary

By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

In a bid to address the persistent issue of youth unemployment in Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke has inaugurated 10,000 young people into the Imole Youth Corps.

This initiative is part of his administration’s ongoing commitment to job creation and youth empowerment across the state.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, which took place at Freedom Park in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke described the programme as a significant milestone in his government’s broader strategy to combat youth unemployment.

He also noted that, in addition to direct recruitment, his administration has been implementing various policies aimed at engaging young people in different sectors.

“This event is another step in our mission to provide job opportunities for our teeming youth. We are engaging 10,000 young people across the 332 political wards in Osun to provide essential services in health, security, environment, and education,” he stated.

The Governor stressed that the programme is a transitional initiative designed to equip youth from diverse backgrounds with valuable work experience.

He assured the newly enrolled corps members that they would receive proper training to effectively contribute to grassroots economic activities and sectoral services.

In his remarks, Governor Adeleke encouraged the corps members to show dedication and responsibility in their assigned roles, emphasising the importance of hard work and commitment.

“I charge you to be diligent and committed wherever you are posted. You must justify the trust placed in you by serving with excellence,” he said.

Governor Adeleke further outlined his administration’s broader efforts to address unemployment, mentioning several initiatives designed to create a more sustainable job market in the state.

“Our administration recognises the widespread joblessness among young people. Our first step has been to create an enabling environment for both government and private-sector job creation,” he said.

He highlighted key initiatives that have driven employment growth, including: Financial Support for Small Businesses, Providing funding through cooperatives to support grassroots entrepreneurs. Over ₦4 billion has been committed to a revolving loan scheme.

“Statewide Infrastructure Upgrades, Creating jobs through ongoing infrastructure development projects. Youth Agropreneur Programme Recently launched to train and empower young farmers across the state.

Local Content Policy – Prioritising local contractors and suppliers in state projects to ensure that Osun’s economy benefits directly.

“Through these initiatives, our local content policy, business financing, and youth agropreneur programme, we have created over 250,000 job opportunities for our people in the past two years. This number will continue to grow as we expand our agropreneur programme across all 30 local governments and the Area Council,” the Governor stated.

To ensure the success of the Imole Youth Corps, the Governor directed the Commissioner for Youth Development, Moshood Olagunju, to implement a strict performance evaluation system for corps members. “This programme will be subject to regular assessment to ensure its objectives are met,” he assured.

In his address, Commissioner Olagunju congratulated the corps members and urged them to be good ambassadors of the programme. “Governor Adeleke has consistently shown his commitment to youth empowerment. This initiative is another testament to his dedication,” the Commissioner remarked.

Some of the newly recruited members of the Imole Youth Corps shared their gratitude in separate interviews with our correspondent, commending the Governor for providing them with an opportunity to work. Many of them had been unemployed for years, despite holding degrees from various universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

“We thank the Government for this initiative. It will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of many thousands of youths roaming the streets. We commend the Governor and assure him of our collective support for his second term,” they said.