NIWA MD urges states to adopt FG youth schemes

…advocates reduction of school fees in Osun

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, has urged state governments to domesticate federal government initiatives to meet the aspirations and yearnings of youths in their various states.

Oyebamiji cited programmes such as the NELFUND initiative for tertiary and technical schools and the ₦45,000 monthly stipend for students of federal technical schools, noting that similar measures could be replicated in Osun State to provide more financial relief for students.

He made the call in his message to commemorate the 2025 International Youth Day, where he praised the virtues of Nigerian youths.

Oyebamiji commended Osun youths for their resilience, competence, and hard-working spirit, which he said have contributed to the socio-economic and political development of the state since its creation in 1991.

The NIWA boss, who is a leading aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2026 Osun governorship election, expressed delight at the activation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said has greatly benefited the nation’s youths.

“As a nation, we are fortunate to have, at the helm of affairs, a President who is an advocate of inclusive and participatory governance. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pro-masses policies and programmes focus on youth capacity development and the advancement of women’s causes,” he said.

He also appealed to the Osun State Government to review the ₦1.5 million tuition fee at the state university in Ilesa, describing it as unjustifiable in the current harsh economy.

Oyebamiji further urged the Ademola Adeleke-led administration to recall the 1,500 teachers sacked in 2022 to address the shortage of teachers in primary and secondary schools across Osun State.