Labour Party candidate for Owerri Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has pledged to make youth development a major priority of her legislative agenda if elected.
Akeredolu, in a statement to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day, said young people should no longer be regarded merely as “leaders of tomorrow,” stressing that they are already contributing significantly to the development of their communities.
She said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” aptly reflects the aspirations of young people across different backgrounds, noting that they all desire opportunities to learn, work, create, participate and build a future of dignity and purpose.
According to her, her commitment to youth empowerment is demonstrated through the BEMORE initiative, which she founded to equip girls with STEM education, digital skills, entrepreneurship and leadership training.
She said the initiative had provided thousands of young girls with opportunities to acquire skills capable of improving their economic independence.
Akeredolu, however, stressed that youth empowerment must extend beyond formal education, identifying sports, entrepreneurship, technology and the creative economy as important avenues for developing the potential of young people.
She said Owerri must deliberately invest in sporting infrastructure and talent development, particularly in football, tennis, athletics, basketball and other sporting disciplines.
The Labour Party candidate also promised to champion programmes that would expand access to digital and technology skills, STEM education, entrepreneurship and vocational training, scholarships, internships, grants and private-sector partnerships.
She added that agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and the creative and digital industries would form part of her proposed youth development agenda, arguing that young people should be empowered to become job creators rather than perpetual job seekers.
Akeredolu further pledged to advocate for better infrastructure, reliable electricity, functional educational institutions, accessible healthcare and safer communities, describing these as essential conditions for young people to realise their potential.
She also called for greater youth participation in governance, saying policies affecting young people should not be designed without their input.
The former First Lady of Ondo State warned against the use of youths for political violence, thuggery, misinformation and electoral manipulation.
“For too long, Nigerian youths have been courted during elections and forgotten afterwards,” she said, urging young people to deploy their energy and intelligence towards innovation, entrepreneurship, professional development and responsible political participation.
She noted that emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital technology, renewable energy, biotechnology and the creative economy were creating new opportunities globally, stressing that Owerri must position its young people to benefit from the changing economic landscape.
Akeredolu said her youth empowerment agenda was not an election-season promise, pointing to her years of advocacy and programmes through BEMORE and her commitment to sports development.
She urged young people in Owerri Federal Constituency to partner with her in building a future where they could learn, create, earn and lead within their communities.
“Different contexts. Common aspirations. One shared future,” she said, calling for an Owerri where every young person would have the opportunity to “BEMORE, DO MORE and ACHIEVE MORE.”
