Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bayo Onanuga, has advised youths to be more focused and seek greater participation in politics to fast-track Nigeria’s development.
He gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja when he received a delegation from Representatives Union of Good Governance Advocates (RUGGA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which visited him.
Onanuga, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Account of the agency, Mrs Adijat Lawal, said that youths “must be armed with education and show a lot of courage and resilience to make it in politics in Nigeria’’.
He assured that NAN would partner organisations, including NGOs like RUGGA, to evolve a better and more prosperous nation.
“We are happy with RUGGA for having the focus and the initiative to start something that would shape the youths to look forward to participating in politics. If the young ones do not take the bull by the horn they will not grow,” he said.
Onanuga said that the group’s visit to NAN was a wise decision, explaining that news content of most media platforms in Nigeria were generated from NAN because of its wide and effective reach and credibility.
“When you talk to NAN you talk to all; NAN is the right platform, and NAN will give good publicity to the activities of RUGGA.’’
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Dr Kabiru Muhammad-Kamba, had expressed the group’s desire to partner NAN, saying that the relationship was essential in driving the group’s vision.
He commended the agency for its credibility, noting that it was one of the strongest news agencies in the world.
“We believe that this is one of the most important news platforms that provide the right content for other media and if we build a very good relationship, we believe that it will help us achieve our mandate.
“This is our first visit and it is encouraging, regarding the responses we got from the beginning till now. We decided to meet with NAN first and we believe that our meeting will form a news content that others will take from,’’ he said.
Muhammad-Kamba said that the group was set to host its maiden Youth Summit with “Youthful Purposefulness” as theme, explaining that it would focus on “where we were yesterday, what we are today and what we want to be in the future.”
He said that the summit would hold in Kebbi state in June.
Muhammad-Kamba said that the summit would also have paper presentations with 21 reasons why youths in the North-West would stand with the present administration in the country.
He said that the group was collaborating with the National Youth Council of Nigeria and the National Youth Chambers Council of Nigeria to host the summit.