The Nigerian Nollywood Actress, Tonto Dike, has commended the Federal Government’s efforts in carrying along with the nation`s youths by creating different platforms for their development.
Dike gave the commendation when she featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum, to sensitise Nigerian youths to the need to stand firm by the leaders to build the country rather than destroying its image.
Dike, who is also Director of Socials and Empowerment, Committee of Youth on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS), condemned fake news that was trending on social media to criticise the government`s efforts on youths` developmental projects.
“I actually think that the government is doing a lot. Prior to being a member of the CYMS, I didn’t have the knowledge of the fact that the government has so many platforms assigned to youths to be able to get them to the next level.
“I didn’t know that because something that is actually, is worse than the pandemic which is actually eating into our society and that is fake news, which is wrong news, which is bad news.
“Which is what we have and always have been getting, the news that the government is trying to help the youths or the platform in which they help the youth are not found.
“The information just stops halfway, and it`s not getting to the people who actually need it. “
The Nollywood actress, however, said that CYMS, being a mobilisation and sensitisation organisation, was working to ensure that youths are enlightened by the organisation so as not to give up on the government`s programmes.
According to her, CYMS has many empowerment programmes with different initiatives for the youths.
While urging the government to strategise means of including a good number of youths in governance, Dike also used the medium to condemn the abuse of women in society.
“If we do not recognise the fact and the problems of the youths, we will only see prosperity, we will only see the country that we deserve is a mirage.
“What do I mean, it is time to include the youths in the position of power for them to be able to change the country, “ she said.
Nevertheless, the actress assured Nigerian youths that CYMS would not relent in its efforts to ensure that the organisation worked for hand in hand with the government to develop them.
“We actually hold different training and empowerment programmes for youths, especially women because we believe that society has really ridiculed women so much because of their inabilities and inadequacies.
“Personally, my foundation empowers over 50, 000 youths, single women every year.
“ Prior to COVID-19, we had already planned a skills acquisition programme for the youths, especially for the women, because of COVID-19 and the restriction on large gatherings we were not able to achieve it, “ she said.
Dike said CYMS was still toward the execution of its schemes planned for the youths before the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic.
According to her, the scheme will give youths, especially women, an opportunity to key into government platforms that will be able to empower them and to build them to the women they are supposed to be in the society.
