Nigeria: President Jonathan Presents Awards to YouWin Winners, Stresses Meritocracy

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that henceforth only qualified persons, irrespective of their state or geo-political zone of origin, will be appointed into sensitive government positions.

Speaking at the Presidential awards ceremony of the Youth Enterprise with Innovations in Nigeria (YouWin) on Thursday, April 12, President Jonathan said political office-holders would henceforth be picked on merit.

Consequently, the President said he had directed the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Minister of Health to advertise the vacant positions of Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), positions he said must be made competitive to ensure that only qualified people are appointed.

"I don't need to know who gets them, these are very sensitive offices that so many people are clamouring for but I have asked them to advertised and get neutral body to conduct interview.

We are going to do that for some of these sensitive offices that need professionals because that is the only way this government can put round pegs in round holes and square pegs in square holes. And if we are able to do that, definitely we can then get Nigeria to where these young people want it to be", he said.

The Presidential award category under the YouWin Programme was designed to reward one beneficiary from each of the six geopolitical zones, whose business plan was adjudged the best by a panel of distinguished entrepreneurs, within that zone. The award is in the sum of N500,000 to six winners from each of the geopolitical zone.

President Jonathan who commended the process which threw up the 1,200 youth for the first phase of the programme, assured that his administration has commenced the process of enthroning merit as against mediocrity.

According to him, the six awardees were not selected based on their geo-political zones but where their businesses are located, adding that "this emphasises merit".

"Nigerians should be encouraged to live anywhere in the country and do business. We must be seen as a nation that de-emphasizes our goe-political zones, I'm a northerner I'm a southerner, I'm from sout-south I'm from north east, this does not help the growth of our nation. In fact even at the political level, this administration is committed to stop a situation where a Nigerian must know somebody before he gets something, this situation must end. And we are beginning to demonstrate that even in our political appointment, some of the political offices have to be advertised for all Nigerians to compete so that we select the best".

While urging the first batch of beneficiaries of YouWin not to disappoint the confidence repose on them, the President said though the country was experiences challenges in power supply and infrastructure development, his administration was committed to encouraging local content procurement to boost the morale of manufacturers as well as reduce unemployment.

"Anything that is being produced in this country, the company will employ Nigerians, those employed will pay taxes and they will be able to take care of their families and train their children. This is to encourage companies to come and produce their goods in Nigeria.

"We no longer want to open our doors and make our country a dooming ground, there are credible companies though we have challenges now that we are working very hard to address like power, infrastructures but I say to come and join us now you don't have to wait until when the meal is ready then you come and sit on the table".

The six awardees are Bimlack Jimon (North East) an oil palm farmer and a graduate of geology. Currently has 1000 palm tree standing and has 26 employees in his company.

Mbetobong Umoefih (South South) from Akwa Ibom State, has 14 staff under his employ and an annual turn over of N7 million. Muritala Osuolale Bello (South West) has an IT company that currently employ five people and intends to employ 100 more with the YouWin grant.

Mohammed Aminu (North West), offers training in computer uses currently employs eight people and hopes to employ 80 more trainers with the grant. Gbenga Akin Makinde (North Central) also into IT hopes to increase his staff strength from 32 to 120.

Robinson Omorogiuwa (South East) from Edo State, a school proprietor with Staff strength of 49 wants to use the grant to build more class rooms and employ more teachers.

Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said YouWin came about because the administration recognises that unemployment rate in Nigeria is unacceptable and must be addressed as a matter of national priority.

"And this has made job creation central to the national transformation agenda. When this Programme was launched last year, we promised Nigeria that through the Programme that we will attract ideas and innovation from Nigerian youth entrepreneurs, identify and train 6,000 entrepreneurs whose existing small businesses or new business ideas show promise, identify 1,200 winners based on their business plans including at least 150 in each geopolitical zone.

"Today we can say the government has delivered on it's promises between October last year and now, the achievements of the targets set for the program culminating in the selection of 1,200 winners many of whom are sited here today".

She said about 24,000 Nigerian youth submitted entries for the first stage of the competition, out of which 6000 best applications were selected and trained in small enterprise management and business plan developer to equip them for the next stage. The Pan African University Enterprise Centre and Quality Assurance Business School in the UK identified the 1,200 winners from the 6,000 finalists.

"I must emphasise that the process that was used to select these winners had been rigorous, fair and transparent. Even the candidates have at different forums expressed their delight and surprise that despite not having connection they were selected based on merit. I want to affirm to the youth of this country that we still have a country where it is possible to do things on merit.

The winners of 2011/2012 edition of YouWin comprised 204 from North Central, 167 North East, 170 North West, 184 South East, 194 South South and 281 from South West.

The 53 per cent of winners are existing businesses while the remaining are new. The top three sectors represented are agriculture 22.8 per cent, information technology and telecommunications services 11.8 per cent and food and drink manufacturing 9.8 per cent.