Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has urged youths in the state to shun the pursuit of quick wealth and take advantage of government programmes designed to equip them with skills, create businesses and improve their economic prospects.

Oyebanji said sustainable success requires discipline, hard work, patience and continuous self-development, urging young people to harness opportunities in entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, digital innovation, agriculture, sports and other sectors.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Gold Adedayo, spoke at the International Youth Day Summit organised by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State chapter, to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day.

According to a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, Oyebanji said his administration had made youth development a key component of its development agenda.

He said the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Youth Development was aimed at giving focused attention to the aspirations, challenges and potential of young people in the state.

The governor highlighted some of the interventions of his administration, including financial support for youth and student organisations, skills training, enterprise support, provision of start-up tools and capital, innovation and technology platforms, as well as regular engagement with youths.

Oyebanji assured Ekiti youths of his administration’s continued commitment to creating an enabling environment for them to thrive, become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, urged youths to take ownership of the present and play an active role in shaping the future of Ekiti State and Nigeria.

Aribasoye encouraged young people to prioritise competence, digital skills, entrepreneurship, agriculture, renewable energy and emerging technologies, saying their talents could be transformed into sustainable businesses and employment opportunities.

Earlier, the Chairman of NYCN, Ekiti State chapter, Segun Bankole, commended the Oyebanji administration for its youth-focused initiatives.

Bankole said the Youth Week and International Youth Day Summit were designed to bring young people from different backgrounds together to exchange ideas, build networks and identify practical ways of contributing to the development of the state.