The senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) for Oyo south senatorial district in the 2027 election and member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Olajide Odidiomo, has called for a stronger partnership between government and the youth, declaring that technology has become the new currency in the modern economy.
Hon. Olajide Odidiomo made the declaration while addressing participants at the Oyo state 2026 Youth stakeholders’ engagement and Interactive forum with registered youth organizations, held at the local government training hall, secretariat, Ibadan.
The engagement, which brought together youth stakeholders from across the state, provided a platform for discussions on youth development, technology, employment and political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Hon. Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo, the growing importance of technology in virtually every sector of the economy makes it imperative for Oyo state to deliberately bridge the technological divide separating young people from emerging opportunities. He said the challenge before the state was no longer merely how to encourage youths to seek employment, but how to equip them with relevant digital competencies capable of making them employers, innovators and participants in the global digital economy. “Technology is the new currency,” he said, stressing that access to digital knowledge and tools could determine whether young Nigerians became beneficiaries or victims of the rapidly changing economic environment. He added that a sustained investment in digital education, entrepreneurship and innovation remained critical to preparing Oyo state youths for the future.
The APM candidate further declared that his party was prepared to establish a new political contract with the youth of Oyo state, assuring them that young people would remain a central component of the party’s development agenda. He said, “APM is here to make a pact with the youths of Oyo state,” adding that youth development was not an afterthought but a priority embedded in the party’s manifesto. Hon. Olajide Odidiomo argued that political leadership must move beyond rhetoric and occasional interventions to create sustainable opportunities through policies and programmes that enable young people to acquire skills, access technology and compete favourably in an increasingly digital world.
Speaking from his experience as a federal legislator, Odidiomo said his interventions over the years had consistently placed youth empowerment, particularly digital empowerment, at the centre of his representation. He disclosed that he had empowered more than 2,000 youths with laptops, while another 2,000 plus beneficiaries had received training in various digital skills and cash support over the past seven years.
According to him, the objective was not simply to distribute items or provide temporary relief, but to give young people the tools required to build sustainable livelihoods in the digital economy. He maintained that access to laptops, digital training and financial support could open doors to freelancing, technology based entrepreneurship, remote employment and other opportunities beyond the traditional job market.
The lawmaker also used the occasion to draw a sharp political distinction between his approach to youth empowerment and what he described as the conventional practice of distributing money without creating sustainable pathways to economic independence. He said, “while others are busy sharing money in the market, I am empowering the future of our youths to prepare them for a better tomorrow.” He declared that responsible representation should be measured by the capacity of elected officials to invest in people and create opportunities that outlive political seasons.
