Nigerian Youths Deserve A Prosperous Country – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says his government is committed to ensuring that more than 60 per cent of Nigerians, which fall into the age category of youths, inherit a stable and prosperous country.

The President said this on Thursday while receiving a Letter of Credence from the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria, Mr Ketil Karlsen, at the State House in Abuja.

“Our insistence on probity is to encourage people to be accountable, and accept honesty as a lifestyle so as to secure the future of our youths,” President Buhari said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

He assured the EU envoy that the Federal Government would work assiduously to prevent waste and the depletion of resources by corrupt Nigerians.

The President pledged that his administration would continually promote the culture of honesty and integrity in service, which would guarantee a better future for the youth.

He explained that Nigeria had been reluctant to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) among ECOWAS countries because of the need to protect the economy, especially the industries and small businesses that currently provide jobs for majority Nigerians.

President Buhari believes the signing of the agreement would expose the industries and small businesses to external pressures and competitions, which could lead to closures and job losses.

“We are not enthusiastic about signing the EPA because of our largely youthful population. We are still struggling to provide jobs for them, and we want our youths to be kept busy.

“Presently, our industries cannot compete with the more efficient and highly technologically driven industries in Europe. We have to protect our industries and our youths,” Adesina explained.

In his remarks, Karlsen pledged the continuous support of the EU for President Buhari’s administration in the key priority areas of security, economy and the fight against corruption.