By EDDIE OSIFELO
The challenges posed by the large and growing youth bulge in our country must be central to all government policy.
Opposition Leader, Mathew Wale stressed this during his debate on the sine die motion in Parliament on December 15.
“We must not continue on as if these challenges will somehow go away or be addressed by others. Government has to lead,” Wale said.
“Of course, the most important tool government has to address these challenges is through economic policy,” he added.
Wale said economic and employment opportunities offer the best and most sustainable solution to many of the challenges posed by the youth bulge.
He said it requires an overall economic policy framework that holds together various policy responses that aim to attract the right quality of investments and create the quality of jobs and opportunities our young people need.
“I am concerned about the lack of a coherent framework of policies in that pursuit,” he said.
Furthermore, Wale said he’s particularly concerned about the mining sector, especially the quality of licence holders.
“We shoot ourselves in the foot when we issue prospecting and mining licences to speculators and those with dubious reputation,” he added.
