Director-General of the City Boy Movement (CBM), Hon. Oluwatosin Shoga, has attributed the large turnout of youth at Saturday’s flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) re-election campaign of President Bola Tinubu in Kaduna as an affirmation of the Movement’s sustained grassroots enlightenment and mobilisation efforts in support of the President.
Aaccording to him, the impressive youth participation at the rally demonstrated growing interest among young Nigerians in the Tinubu’s development programme and their determination to participate actively in determining Nigeria’s political and economic future.
In a reflection titled, “Beyond the Road: Unlocking Opportunities, Empowering Young Nigerians, and Building a Prosperous Future,” released on Sunday, the CBM boss attributed the enthusiasm witnessed at the Kaduna rally partly to sustained grassroots engagements, including the Movement’s mobilisation activities and street walk in Kano.
His words: “The City Boy Movement was proudly on the ground, engaging with young Nigerians and grassroots supporters who came out to demonstrate their commitment to the future of our country.
“The enthusiasm witnessed in Kaduna, alongside our grassroots engagement and street walk in Kano, reinforces our conviction that young Nigerians want to be part of a national conversation about development, opportunity, and a more prosperous Nigeria.”
Shoga stressed that the Movement’s activities extended beyond mobilising electoral support for Tinubu, adding that its central mission was to educate and empower young people to understand government policies and take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.
He referenced the inauguration of an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja–Kaduna highway during the campaign flag-off, describing the development as a demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure and stimulating economic activities in the North-West.
According to him, the strategic road corridor linking Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano offers opportunities for agricultural transformation, industrial expansion, regional trade, private investment and employment generation.
He noted that improved connectivity could benefit farmers, traders, transport operators and young entrepreneurs by facilitating access to markets, reducing transportation difficulties and encouraging investments in logistics, manufacturing, food processing and related businesses.
“The objective is not simply to build infrastructure. It is to create the conditions in which people can build businesses, earn sustainable incomes, create jobs, and improve their standard of living”.
Shoga, however, emphasised that infrastructure development must be complemented by sustained security operations, effective intelligence gathering, reliable electricity and investment-friendly policies to unlock the region’s full economic potential.
“A good road connects destinations. A secure road connects people to opportunity. Together, infrastructure and security can help unlock the economic potential of an entire region”, he further said.
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja