A bill to provide financial succour for the country’s young population has scaled first reading at the plenary of the House of Representatives.
Honourable Farah Dagogo, member representing Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency, Rivers State is the sponsor of the bill entitled: ‘Youth Entrepreneurship Development Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill.
Leading the debate on the bill, Dagogo noted that the proposed law will create a fund which shall be used to provide financial support to Nigerian youths with entrepreneurship skills.
He expressed confidence that the proposed ‘Youth Fund would provide a vehicle for assured socioeconomic security for Nigerian youths, to galvanize them to become employers of labour, self reliance and captains of industry.’
He said the ‘Youth Fund’ will not only reduce unemployment and the social vices that characterize the Nigerian society today, but serves as a strong pointer that the country are very particular about its youths and have them in its plan.
The lawmaker said funding for the ‘Youth Fund’ will not be less than 5% capital estimate proposal from the Federation Account approved as appropriation for the fiscal year.
Other sources of revenue as proposed are ; profits accruing periodically from approved investments made out of the capital in the Youth Fund, one percent profit as declared by each private entity in the country, other revenue legitimately accruing to the fund by means not provided for in the Bill, and such other sums as may accrue to the capital in the Youth Fund from time to time.
Further insight into the bill showed that( in Section 4 (1) the youths will have a say on how the funds are to be administered by the Youth Fund Management Board, with its Chairman expected to be a youth appointed by the President.
