The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has advocated for the mentoring of youths to make them better future leaders in the country.
Pantami made the call in an interview with journalists shortly after a mentorship engagement with the third cohort of Sir Kashim Ibrahim Fellows, on Tuesday in Kaduna.
The minister commended the introduction of the Sir Kashim Fellows programme, especially the procedure in which participants were selected from across the country, based on merit.
He said the programme which mentors young Nigerians on leadership roles, will go a long way in addressing many of the challenges the Country is experiencing.
Pantami said the programme would bridge the gap between potential leaders and their mentors, because it gives avenue for experiences to be shared among them.
“They are not just being briefed or given presentations but also given the opportunity to work and learn in public offices where they can interact with people and get experience,” he noted.
He appreciated Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai’s cosmopolitan nature of giving every Nigerian an opportunity to participate in capacity building across all parastatals, ministries, departments and agencies of the State.
He called on other State Governors to replicate such program in their states so as to give potential leaders from across the country a sense of belonging.
Sixteen young Nigerians from 10 states are being trained under the Fellowship on leadership skills to enable them hold responsibilities in all facets of life.
Also, El-Rufai appreciated the minister for engaging with the Fellows, noting that Pantami is a man of many talents not only in his area of expertise but also as a respected Islamic cleric.
While rating him among the best performing ministers in the present administration, the governor said that Pantami “has taken a ministry that is a little bit sleepy and injected energy and life to it and upgraded it to the 21st century standards.”
According to him, the minister has the vision to put Nigeria on the path of growth in the 21s century, and “a vision of ensuring that every part of our lives is based on a digital environment.”
(NAN)
