By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Government has intensified efforts to build partnerships with private businesses, government agencies and grassroots political structures to advance its Youth Reformation Programme and promote discipline, integrity, enterprise and responsible leadership among young people.
The Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Youth Reformation, Dr Nelson Omenugha, disclosed this following a series of engagements with stakeholders on Wednesday, October 14, which included a visit to Zobis Cables Limited in Ogbaru and other earlier meetings with some other critical stakeholders, including officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Idemili South.
Omenugha said the engagements were aimed at securing broader support for the governor’s vision of youth development by bringing together institutions and individuals whose contributions could help shape the character, skills and future prospects of young people across the state.
During the visit to Zobis Cables Limited, Omenugha and his team met with the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Ezeobi, to discuss opportunities for private-sector involvement in youth development.
According to Omenugha, the discussions centred on the need for businesses to support youth mentorship, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and leadership development, particularly in preparing young people to become responsible citizens and productive members of society.
He said the team also presented plans for an upcoming students’ leadership training programme designed to equip young people with the values and skills needed to lead with integrity, embrace responsibility and positively influence their schools and communities.
Omenugha disclosed that Ezeobi received the delegation warmly and expressed interest in the Youth Reformation vision, adding that the engagement had opened prospects for deeper collaboration between the company and the state’s youth development initiative.
The governor’s aide said private-sector participation was important to the programme because businesses could contribute practical experience, mentorship and opportunities that would complement government efforts to prepare young people for productive lives.
He expressed optimism that further engagements with Zobis Cables would help identify practical ways the company could support youth development in Anambra State.
Omenugha also disclosed that the engagements extended to the NDLEA, where his team met with the commandant, Mr Charles Onubogu, alongside Commissioners Dr Afam Obidike and Dr Law Mefor, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders working towards positive social change.
The meetings, he explained, reflected the need to involve different institutions in youth reformation, including those whose work relates to preventive education and addressing social challenges affecting young people.
He also held discussions with the APGA Chairman in Idemili South, Hon. Kizito Anoliefo, alongside other party stakeholders, to promote grassroots participation in the initiative.
According to Omenugha, the engagements reinforced his position that youth reformation could not be achieved by government alone but required sustained contributions from the private sector, public institutions, political structures and communities.
He maintained that the programme was intended to promote a generation of young people distinguished by character, discipline, integrity, enterprise and a sense of responsibility, while encouraging institutions to make positive values part of their everyday activities.
Omenugha said the approach aligned with Soludo’s broader vision of social re-engineering, which he described as requiring strategic partnerships, opportunities for young people and a shared commitment to building responsible citizens.
He called for continued cooperation among stakeholders, stressing that mentorship, leadership training, preventive education and grassroots mobilisation were important components of the effort to prepare young people for greater responsibilities in their communities and the state.
The Special Adviser urged stakeholders to see youth development as a collective responsibility and to support initiatives that would encourage young people to become positive influences wherever they found themselves.
He reiterated the mantra, “I Bụ Ife Nke Obodo Gị,” urging Ndi Anambra to contribute positively to their communities and support efforts to build a more responsible and productive generation.
.
