The National Space Research and Development Agency, in collaboration with Grassroots Bridge Builders, has restated the need for harnessing youth potential through skill acquisition for national growth.

The group said this on Thursday in Abuja during a one-day summit. The summit was in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

The event also featured the unveiling of the GBB e-learning platform and the awarding of certificates to 10,000 trained participants.

Also, the launch of the GBB National Advocacy Against Drug Abuse in partnership with NDLEA and the official unveiling of Project 4+4 for Tinubu 2027.

The director-general of NASRDA, Matthew Adepoju, described the initiative as timely and visionary, noting that it directly speaks to youth empowerment.

“Skills acquisition is more than a tool for employment; it is a source of empowerment, dignity and transformation.

“When young people are equipped with relevant skills, they become architects of their own destiny, contributors to national progress and custodians of innovation,” Mr Adepoju said.

Mr Adepoju added that space science and technology were practical tools capable of improving agriculture, enhancing communication, strengthening disaster management and creating opportunities for innovation.

He said NASRDA was committed to partnerships that translated research into tangible value for ordinary Nigerians.

Buba Marwa, the chairman of the NDLEA, said the agency welcomed partnerships that strengthened the fight against drug abuse, particularly among youths. He said it was important to build a Nigeria with youths free of drug abuse.

“Our message is simple: don’t take drugs, don’t traffic drugs, don’t cultivate, don’t manufacture and don’t distribute drugs,” Mr Marwa said.

According to him, we are open to collaborating with organisations like GBB that can reach out to youths to ensure this message reaches the grassroots.

Chief executive officer of GBB, Ibrahim Igoche, said the initiative was designed to complement government efforts at lifting millions of young Nigerians out of poverty through skills development and structured engagement.

Also, the president of the Ijaw National Congress, Benjamin Okaba, described Nigeria’s youth population as a powerful but underutilised demographic dividend, warning that failure to properly harness it fuels crime and underdevelopment.

“If we don’t build the youth, we turn potential into frustration,” Mr Okaba said.

He urged the GBB to avoid politicising empowerment programmes and to focus on selecting participants with genuine interest and drive.

Mr Okaba stressed that training should translate into measurable impact, as the government only provided the platform; hence, growth must start with the individual.

(NAN)