Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Nigerian youths to leverage opportunities within their communities to develop their innate talents, achieve self-reliance, and contribute to the nation’s socio-economic development.
He emphasized the critical need for collective action to engage young people productively and get them off the streets.
The former president made these remarks on Tuesday during the unveiling of the Obanta Centre, a new youth development facility in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the centre was established under the Olusegun Obasanjo Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The newly inaugurated centre features a cinema, squash and lawn tennis courts, an entrepreneurship hub, a five-a-side football pitch, a swimming pool, a gym, and an event centre. Obasanjo described the facility as a “hospitality, relaxation, and entertainment centre where young people can come to learn and enjoy themselves.”
He highlighted that the Obanta Centre is the third of its kind, following two previously established centres in Abeokuta. “The commitment is to get youths off the streets,” Obasanjo stated, adding that the initiative is designed to promote a balanced life. “To live a full life, you have to work. They say work and play; I say rest, relax, socialise, and recreate.”
The Director of the OOPL Youth Centre, Mrs. Bisi Kolapo, elaborated on the centre’s comprehensive offerings. Beyond the recreational facilities, she emphasized its core mission of empowering youths through practical skills. “We conduct training for young people in entrepreneurship. We teach them how to start and manage their own businesses and employ others,” Kolapo said. “We offer entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and start-up support, working alongside them in various trades and professions.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Sunny Kuku, the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, commended Obasanjo for his significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the region, particularly in health, education, and social welfare. He praised the centre as a “unique and unparalleled” initiative in Ijebuland and encouraged others to emulate the project for the greater good of the community.
