By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Adesina, has sought a partnership with the Republic of Ireland on health and youth empowerment programmes to enhance the standard of living of the residents.
Speaking at a programme organized by LGNA International attended by the Ireland Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Peter Ryan, Hon. Adesina stated that his major concern is to implement life-impacting projects and programmes, and two major ones are health and youth empowerment.
He noted that the idea is not just about the Golden Integrated Empowerment Foundation that has these two branches, but that they can collaborate in these two areas where most of their primary healthcare centers (PHCs) are functional and very effective.
“We can partner in this area whereby your country can partner with us, Ikorodu Local Government, so that we can bring in more facilities for the health of the people because we are the grassroots government,” he said.
He added that the people closer to the Local Councils patronize most of the PHCs and that more equipment is needed to cater to the downtrodden people.
Speaking on youth empowerment, he requested a big youth center powered by turbines to prevent power failure, where the youth will be trained in world-standard programs that will make them more useful to society.
“The kind of youth empowerment that I think is the one that will have a very big youth center, and this youth center can be powered by a turbine so that there won’t be a question of power failure. And it should be divided into different sections where this youth will be trained to become self-employed and will be more useful to society through training acquired,” he said.
Hon. Adesina Wasiu assured the Ireland Ambassador that they will make the environment more friendly for the two countries or the partnering countries so that things will be easier for the people. He said that land will be provided coupled with a very good agreement between the two countries and the state to achieve the two highlighted issues that are key for development in any country.
In reaction, the Ambassador told the various public sector administrators in attendance that his door is open for partnerships and collaboration programs, among others. He assured them that he will be visiting some suburbs in Lagos, Nigeria, to assess the situation and see how Ireland can support the development of the people.