Many eminent personalities in Nigeria and abroad have identified numerous factors responsible for the insurgency and youth restiveness in some parts of the country. The most talked about factor is joblessness among the youths.

Perhaps, it is this root of 'evil' (joblessness) that the Kwara State government intends to address through aggressive youth employment via its state Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES) and recently, the QuickWin Youth Empowerment Scheme.

With the flag-off of QuickWin and the engagement of 5,200 youths, the government has employed 10, 200 youths since inception and it has also promised to engage an additional 3,000 by the end of the year. The government had recently rolled out arrangements to engage additional 8, 200 youths in its QuickWin empowerment scheme.

And true to its promise, the state government had offered 5,400 youths employment through the scheme that was announced by the secretary to the state government, Alh Isiaka Gold April this year. The distribution of letters of employment to the beneficiaries by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed was the high point of the programmes and activities that marked the governor's third year in office. The colourful ceremony took place at the Government House, Ilorin, on May 29, 2014.

The governor had declared at the ceremony that "I have no doubt that it (the QuickWin Empowerment Scheme) will act as an important catalyst in improving the livelihood of youths and create valuable skills to fill existing gaps in the economy, making crime and criminality less attractive options for survival. He added that the programme was also decided to enable the youths "earn a living and contribute to societal stability and progress".

Also, amidst complaints of dwindling revenue from federation account, the administration of Governor Ahmed was able to complete some infrastructural projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state. Some of the projects were commissioned to mark the third anniversary of the governor's assumption of office.

It's on record that between August 2013 and March this year, Kwara State lost about N10 billion to reduction from its shares from the federal allocation. The state commissioner for Finance, Alh Nurudeen Banu, in an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday lamented that the state government recorded a shortfall of over N6 billion; the 16 local governments recorded over N4 billion losses and the federation account recorded over N800 billion shortfalls in the last few months.

Though, he disclosed that the dwindling allocation from the federation account has been causing hardship for civil servants and pensioners across the country, it is an irony that the state still pays its workers – both serving and retirees their monthly salaries on the 25th of every month. Some of the projects that were commissioned to mark the governor's third year anniversary include 2.5MVA/33/11KV injection sub-station at Agunjin, Ifelodun LGA, Obbo-Aiyegunle reconstructed Waterworks in Ekiti LGA, Tsaragi Market road, the two renovated general hospitals in Omu-Aran and Offa. The commissioning of Ilorin general hospital has been postponed till a later date. However, full medical services have since commenced at the hospital.

The senior special assistant to the governor on media, Dr Femi Akorede, said that the landmark achievements of Governor Ahmed's administration in the last three years are a reflection of 'legacy continuity' slogan of the state government.

He said that the deliberate efforts of the governor to complete all the projects he inherited from his predecessor have ensured even development of all the segments of the state.

Akorede listed some of the inherited projects that have been completed by the Ahmed's administration as the International Aviation College, Ilorin; the Metropolitan Square (Kwara Central), road projects across the three senatorial districts of the state, the International Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin and the construction of Engineering Department for the Kwara State University, Malete (Kwara North).

He said that works have also reached advanced stage at the International Vocational Centre, Ajase-Ipo (Kwara South) which was initiated by Dr Bukola Saraki's administration.

Akorede added that the governor has also expanded the Shonga commercial farm initiative to other 15 LGAs of the state through the disbursement of N250 million loan to farmers across the state, adding that the incumbent administration has also complemented the health programmes of the Bukola Saraki's administration through a comprehensive rehabilitation and equipping of five general hospitals located at Offa, Omu-Aran, Share (Kwara South), Kaiama (Kwara North) and Ilorin (Kwara Central).

He attributed the seeming concentration of projects in Ilorin to the fact that Ilorin as a state capital plays host to Nigerians from different parts of the state, noting that there is no part of the state whose indigenes are not residing in Ilorin.

Speaking at the launching of the QuickWin empowerment scheme, Governor Ahmed said that in order to underline the importance of the scheme and ensure its sustenance, government has set aside N2.4 billion to fund the scheme for the next one year.

He disclosed that N164 million has already been expended on the newly created Environmental Corps and an enhanced Kwara State Road Traffic Management Agency (KWARTMA).

"The QuickWin Youth Empowerment and Employment Scheme expands on the successes of KWABES with a greater focus on entrepreneurship, vocational skills and public works," he added.

The governor explained that the most significant component of QuickWin is entrepreneurship under which eligible youths will undergo paid training for up to 12 months. He urged the beneficiaries to show absolute commitment to the programme, to earn a living and contribute to societal stability and progress.

"As we launch Quickwin today, therefore, we are positively touching lives and putting thousands more on the path to sustained prosperity," the governor stressed.

Ahmed also noted that, "QuickWin is perhaps the only empowerment scheme of its type in this country that is open to all residents regardless of their skill sets, levels of education or state of origin.

"To further stimulate economic activities and enhance public works, QuickWin also includes low-hanging projects such as classroom rehabilitation, transformer installation and borehole construction across the state," he said.

The governor also said that with the launching of QuickWin, his assurance becomes even stronger that entrepreneurship and vocational skill acquisition remain the most viable pathways for sustainable empowerment.

At the commissioning of the power sub-station in Agunjin, the governor who was represented by his deputy, Elder Peter Kisira, announced his government's resolve to prioritise the exploitation of alternative energy sources in the state.

He said that the state government would continue to collaborate with the federal government to holistically address the parlous energy supply in order to improve power supply to all and sundry in the state.