The Imo state commissioner for Youth development and Talent hunt, Honourable Emeka Mandela Ukaegbu has revealed that the ministry is on a mission to forge a synergy between the Youths and Imo state government through the discovery and promotion of young talents.
Ukaegbu revealed this to members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Imo Chapter during a courtesy visit to his office at the Ministry of Youths Development and Talent Hunt Annex, old Assembly Office, Owerri.
Ukaegbu also informed Imo SWAN on efforts made by the ministry to promote young talents and then further project them to the world adding that he believes a partnership with Imo SWAN would help take the ministry’s activities to the next level.
“The Ministry will be coming up with a lot of activities for our younger generations that are not only football alone, we would also include other sporting activities, we would look at sporting activities like Badminton, Chess, Javelin, marathon among others,” Honourable Ukaegbu explained to members of Imo SWAN.
“We want to see how we can promote our younger people by discovering this young talents and then projecting them to the world. This is why we will need SWAN to help in this project.
“We are not restricting it to sports alone, We will also look into talents in areas of ICT, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship and other means. When We discover them, we will now hand them over to the ministry in charge for further development which is why we have partnership with Heartland FC , Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Agriculture and so many other ministries that will help with their further refinement.
“By doing all this, we are trying to create a lasting synergy between the Imo state government and Imo youths.” Ukaegbu said.
Members of Imo SWAN further reassured the commissioner of their willingness to partner with the ministry and help in anyway necessary for proper projection of the younger generation.
The Imo SWAN Chairman, Cosmos Chukwuemeka stressed that the Sports Writers in the state are well versed to report not only sporting events but other things within and around the Ministry of Youth Development and Talent Hunt and even more.
He reminded the Commissioner of the efforts made by Imo SWAN members to properly propagate the ongoing Pan Nigerian Youth Governor’s Cup using their various media houses and even social media to provide adequate coverage.
On the minor misunderstanding with Imo FA and the organisers of the Pan Nigerian Youth Governors Cup Ukaegbu said there will be another round of discussion with the Imo FA and that it will be sorted soon in the interest of the youths who are the primary reasons the competition was set up with humane perspective without breaking any rule.
