The federal government says the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) has been restructured with a capital base of N110 billion to support youth-led businesses.

The minister of youth, Jamila Ibrahim, stated this in Akure on Tuesday during a town hall meeting for South-West youths.

Ms Ibrahim said since the relaunch of the NYIF, it had received over 200,000 applications in less than two weeks.

According to the minister, the programme is designed to empower youths by making it easier to obtain loans for personal and entrepreneurial use.

“It is also to enhance their financial stability and ability to contribute to the economy.

“Additionally, we are establishing a National Youth Development Bank to provide financial support for youth-led enterprises.

“This institution will play a crucial role in empowering young entrepreneurs, enabling them to drive economic growth and innovation.

“President Tinubu has approved a 30 per cent youth quota in all government appointments, underscoring his belief in the potential of Nigerian youths.

“We are working on legislation to institutionalise this great legacy initiative, ensuring that youth representation in government becomes a permanent feature of our democracy,” she said.

According to Ms Ibrahim, the FG is also implementing robust reforms to enhance the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) experience.

Earlier, Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo state had stated that youths were the backbone of society and emphasised the importance of their growth and empowerment for a prosperous future.

Mr Aiyedatiwa said his government was committed to creating an environment to foster innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, allowing young people to thrive and reach their full potential.

“We must invest in our young people, providing them with access to quality education, skills, training, and mentorship opportunities,” said the governor.

The governor expressed gratitude to the president for implementing policies under the Renewed Hope Agenda to address challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

He commended the FG’s efforts to enlighten the youths and work toward a more inclusive and equitable society, stressing the moral, economic, and social imperatives of youth development.

“We believe in your energy, your creativity, and your passion. We believe that you have the power to transform our communities, our state, and our country,” he said.

Mr Aiyedatiwa also appreciated youths in the South-West region for rejecting calls for protests and maintaining peace and security.

The Dr Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC on Tuesday summoned Senator Ali Ndume to explain his recent utterances against President Bola Tinubu which led to the former’s removal as Senate Whip.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr Ganduje said the party was satisfied with Ndume’s apology and would convey same to the leadership of the Senate with a view to having it review its position.

Ndume was removed after the NWC wrote the Godswill Akpabio led Senate, complaining of the Borno senator’s utterances against Tinubu.

Speaking after the meeting at the national secretariat of the APC, Ganduje said; “We are quite satisfied with his apology. Like he said, we invited him and you know the party is the father of everybody. As a party, we are free to invite legislators, we are free to invite members of the executive, and we are even free to invite all the appointed party members in the government, so, that is why we decided to come.

“It is a family issue, we need to resolve it and we are writing to the National Assembly conveying what has transpired between Senator Ndume and the party and you know he apologized to the party and we will convey the same issue to the National Assembly, with the hope they can review their position”.

On his part, Ndume conceded that rather than raising some issues on national television, he should have complained to through the party leadership.

He said; “Yesterday, I was invited by the party and here I am to discuss family matters. Actually the national chairman is not just a national chairman to me but a father. With what has happened which you are all aware, it is not surprising that I was invited to hear my own side and we had family discussions and I actually accepted the mistake of not talking to the party as a last point and I promised the party that all my observations as a senior member of the family should have terminated or ended with the party. That is something that moving forward I will do but whatever I said or whatever I did was out of patriotism and those issues maybe said strongly but they are true but then I should have talked to the party as the last bus stop.

“My membership, I have not been expelled, even the party did not say we don’t want you here, because he is my father, the party is my father, the only thing the party said is that look if you don’t want this house you can go to any house. Where will I go? This is my house.

The President and the Senate have nothing to do with this. The President did not take offence, I didn’t insult the President, I didn’t say anything against the party but I left the party out of reaching it on issues and so, please I think that is all I can say”.