Olawunmi Ajibike
Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering members of the Arewa community through capacity-building programmes designed to improve their productivity and contribution to society.
Abiodun gave the assurance on Wednesday while receiving members of the South West Arewa Community’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Asiwaju 2027, led by its Director-General, Alhaji Shehu Usman, during a courtesy visit to his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The governor commended the Arewa community for maintaining peaceful coexistence with host communities across the state, stressing the importance of equipping individuals with relevant skills to prevent them from being manipulated for destructive activities.
“We will focus on ensuring that we provide human capital development for our Arewa brothers so they will not be used as tools for destruction. I assure you that whatever I can do as governor to support this initiative, I will do,” he said.
Abiodun noted that youth empowerment and meaningful engagement remain critical in addressing idleness and preventing young people from falling prey to negative influences.
“We must give people a sense of belonging and engage them on available opportunities—what they can do with their lives—because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
That is why many youths become tools in the hands of dubious individuals due to idleness,” he added.
The governor also expressed readiness to collaborate with the group in developing empowerment programmes tailored to the specific needs of the Arewa community.
“I will be happy to work with you to develop programmes that will help empower your people. You should identify what they can do, how they can be engaged, and how they can positively impact their lives,” he said.
Abiodun further praised the leadership role being played by the group within the Arewa community in the South West, noting that such efforts help promote unity, reduce misinformation, and strengthen mutual understanding among different ethnic groups