Press Statement from the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives
June 29, 2025.
Speaker Abbas tasks youth to promote nation-building through entrepreneurship
...seeks incorporation of ICT into small-scale businesses
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has tasked the Nigerian youth to contribute their quota to nation-building through entrepreneurship skills that solve every day life's problems.
The Speaker made the call on Sunday in Zaria while addressing the third batch of graduands of the Shamsuna Ahmed ICT and Vocational Training Centre.
He congratulated the trainees and advised them to embrace and incorporate the use of ICT in their dealings to create virtual presence for maximum reach and impact.
Speaker Abbas noted that he places more priority on the education and training for the youth, as well as empower individuals to stand on their feet. This informed his decision to embark on schools' upgrade and ensure the welfare of teachers in his constituency to impact knowledge in the past two years.
"In these past two years, we have uplifted our schools, built new institutions, created more opportunities for our farmers and traders, supported our teachers, and empowered our sons and daughters with knowledge and skills that will stand the test of time.
"Today, the world’s greatest entrepreneurs, innovators, and problem solvers are no longer limited by location. They are defined by what they know; what they can do, and how they use technology to change lives. That is what we want for you.
"It is the age in which your ideas, your creativity, and your courage can travel far beyond our borders and connect you to opportunities you never imagined. Many decades ago, my only access to knowledge was through the words of my teachers and the pages of books in the library.
"Across Africa and right here in Nigeria, we see young people building successful businesses online, offering freelance services to clients in every corner of the world, developing mobile applications that solve everyday problems, harnessing digital marketing to grow small businesses, and using online learning to gain new skills in fields once unreachable.
“With a laptop, a phone, or a simple internet connection, our youth are breaking barriers and becoming part of a truly global economy. This is the practical power of ICT — it puts the future in your hands,” Speaker Abbas noted.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress being made by the center, consequently increasing his monthly operational subvention from N1 million to M2 million starting from July until 2027.
The Speaker announced that the House, with the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has appropriated the sum of N100 million as start-up capital for graduating trainees of the institute to enable them put the knowledge acquired into use.
He said the modality for distribution would be worked out by his office in consultation with the management of the centre with a view to determining who gets what based on their individual vocations.
Speaker Abbas assured that there would be monitoring and evaluation of the activities of beneficiaries at the end of each year to appraise performance, as well as reward productivity and discourage waste.
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Principal Officers of the House, the Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa, thanked the Speaker for his foresight in promoting skills acquisition among the youth. He said the people of Zaria are the lucky to have him as their representative.
"In the history of Nigeria, there has never been a time when the House of Representatives enjoyed peaceful deliberations for one full year. But here we are more than two years, and there has never been any issue or quarrel in the House since.
“The only reason why that is possible is because of the kind of leadership that Speaker Abbas Tajudeen provides. As you see me, I'm in the PDP, but I'm always with the Speaker wherever he goes. That's because his leadership style has made the unity of the House effortless,” the Minority Whip said.
Other stakeholders at the occasion commended the Speaker for his relentless efforts at improving the lives of his constituents, both young and old, through education and economic empowerment.
The Speaker took a tour of various items on display as produced by the graduating trainees, just as he expressed admiration for their craftsmanship and attention to details.
Signed:
Musa Abdullahi Krishi
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Repoblic of Nigeria
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