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OYES: Aregbesola’s Legacy of Giving Life To Youths Using Life Skills
AS a global phenomenon, governments and administrations are mostly appraised in their twilight, by the amount of projects that can be tagged ‘legacy projects’ accomplished whilst in office.
In Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s State of Osun, one wouldn’t have to look too far to highlight the youth-themed project, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), as one of the prime legacy projects that have adorned his administration with an apparel of distinction.
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As far as sustainable youth empowerment is concerned, Aregbesola’s OYES has proven to be the strategic solution to a monsoon of unemployment and economic malaise that ravaged the state prior to his administration. Seven years of seamless implementation later, and with the 4th batch of OYES cadets recently commissioned for empowerment, there lies no other perfect time to look back on this widely -acclaimed scheme that came with an air of difference from other schemes before it.
As a revolving volunteers’ scheme designed to eliminate the frustration and paralyzing effect of unacceptably high and seemingly intractable youth unemployment pervasive in Osun, nay, Nigeria, the OYES scheme was installed back in 2010 to drive wholistic entrepreneurial and life skills into a swathe of unemployed youths, all with the strategic intention of achieving lasting empowerment for its beneficiaries.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola addressing the OYES Cadet
In other words, the OYES scheme basically said “NO” to the idea of giving mere handouts to youths in the name of empowerment, rather, it sought how to employ youths into a skills accrual setup, where they are paid a stipend while at it, and where they are nurtured to outgrow this setup into becoming gainful entrepreneurs of their own.
At inception, the validity of the OYES scheme was proven by the mammoth acceptance it received. Over 250,000 youths sought to register for a scheme that had space for 20,000. Right there, was the challenge that threatened the success of the scheme, but it also exposed the strategic depth bought into the scheme by Aregbesola and his co-pilots for OYES.
In order to ensure that the remaining interested applicants are not just discarded after engaging the initial 20,000 qualified applicants, the idea of batches was hatched and were created. Then, a robust exit strategy was put in place to facilitate the entrance of every batch (member) into the Nigerian economy, with their capacity improved, and also empowered to walk into life-long careers.
With a further forensic insight into the innards of the scheme, one would notice that Governor Aregbesola and his team deliberately made sure that every batch member, as part of this exit strategy, will be armed with new skills, life skills, entrepreneurship and mentoring skill sets, to ensure that they are prepared for a honourable and gainful exit from the scheme. This described above, is the most notable edge that singles out OYES from an array of empowerment schemes that flood the political and administrative landscape. For the past 7 years, this one strategy has created a healthy flow into the state and national economies, and at the same time allowed succeeding batches of 20,000 unemployed youths to experience the benefits of serving as Cadet Volunteers in OYES.
Cadet Volunteers in OYES demonstrating exemplary display of traditional military pageantry
Over these years, the OYES cadets and corps have been deployed to offer productive services in identified areas of socio-economic life, as the scheme is divided into cadres such as the green gangs; the sanitation czars; the paramedics; the traffic marshals; the sheriff corps, and the public works brigade. They are also smartly kitted for group identity, high morale, and to give some finesse to their esteem.
Till date, the scheme keeps stacking packs of testimonies to its success, lives have been changed, new careers have been built, and jobs have been created. For what is worth, OYES has been described in both national and global circles as a phenomenal idea whose conception and implementation is unprecedented in the world in social impact and economic benefits to the people.
Ultimately, values of hard-work and the dignity of labour have been instilled in a society that seriously needed it. This comes from the understanding that OYES thrives largely on the values of apalara, igunpa niyekan, an admixture of character and competence, values deeply entrenched in the omoluabi ethos.
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Without an iota of doubt, to the youths in Osun and their families, OYES is Aregbesola’s light at the beginning of their tunnel, through the tunnel, the end of the tunnel, and even now beyond it.
In a few months from now, Ogbeni Rauf will be walking out of the White House, Abeere, leaving behind a exemplary legacy of creating sustainable jobs and transforming lives with the seedlings of meaningful and holistic empowerment, a legacy perfectly primed to outlive his administration.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday held a high-level strategic meeting with the Oyo State chapter of the party as part of efforts to reposition the APC for victory and prevent internal crisis ahead of the polls.
The development was first scooped by OYOINSIGHT.COM which quoted multiple party sources familiar with the closed-door deliberations.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, held in Abuja, focused largely on a consensus arrangement being considered by stakeholders of the party in Oyo State, in line with political templates reportedly being adopted in Lagos and Ogun states ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Party insiders said the move was aimed at strengthening unity within the fold of the opposition party in the state, minimising rancour during the primaries and presenting a formidable front against rival parties in 2027.
It was further gathered that some members of the state executive committee may have been subtly informed about preferred consensus candidates being considered for elective positions across the state.
Though details of the deliberations were still sketchy as of press time, sources hinted that the national leadership stressed the need for cohesion, discipline and strategic alignment among stakeholders to improve the party’s electoral fortunes in Oyo.
Those at the meeting included the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Alake Adeyemo; the state secretary, Fatai Adesina Adeniyi; the Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare; the Organising Secretary, Aderemi Adepoju; and the Legal Adviser, Sunday Aborisade.
Others were the Women Leader, Adekemi Opatunde; the Youth Leader, Olalekan Oladejo; Joshua Oyebamiji; Tunde Oloyede; Sunday Babalola; Joseph Omoniyi; and Mojeed Adebayo.
As of the time of filing this report, the party had yet to issue an official statement on the outcome of the meeting.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, on Monday assured aspirants and party members that the party would conduct transparent, peaceful and credible direct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adeyemo declared that no aspirant would be victimised or denied a level playing field, stressing that the party leadership remained committed to internal democracy and progressive ideals.
The former deputy governor spoke while receiving members of the APC Screening and Appeal Committees deployed from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
He disclosed that although the party initially explored consensus arrangements across elective positions, prevailing realities indicated that direct primaries would be conducted in some areas, including the governorship contest.
Adeyemo said the party had already put necessary structures in place to ensure a hitch-free exercise capable of strengthening unity within the APC.
He said: “We set machineries in motion for us to achieve the aim of consensus across board but reports available to me indicate that we would have to go by the second option which is direct primary in certain cases including the governorship ticket.
“To this end, we shall work towards organising free, fair and credible exercise in all the affected areas even as we cannot rule out the possibility of some aspirants having a rethink and supporting the consensus arrangement as necessary.
“Where we have more than an aspirant, Abuja would send people to conduct primaries and we at the state level would provide the required support to make everything work out in the interest of our great party.”
The APC chairman explained that all registered party members would participate fully in the exercise at their respective wards on dates to be announced by the National Secretariat.
According to him, affirmation would be adopted in areas where consensus candidates emerge, while voting would be conducted wherever direct primaries become necessary.
“For consensus, members will lend their voices for affirmation while voting will be done in the cases of direct primary,” he added.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Screening Committee and former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofiq AbdusSalam, assured party faithful that the committee would carry out a thorough, transparent and unbiased screening process.
He said only eligible aspirants would be cleared to participate in the primaries and eventually fly the APC flag in the forthcoming elections.
Other members of the Screening Committee are Kamal Sanusi (Secretary), Smart Oluwole, Tunde Kolade and Olabamiji Agunloye.
Members of the Screening Appeal Committee are Jibola Oduwole (Chairman), Abimbola Jack (Secretary) and Jelil Jimoh.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Saturday zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, declaring that the party’s candidate would serve a single four-year term if elected.
The decision was reached during the party’s national convention held in Abuja amid growing momentum within the opposition platform following a wave of high-profile defections from other political parties.
Announcing the development on its official social media handle, the party stated, “NDC presidential ticket is zoned to the South!!”
The party also resolved that its 2031 presidential ticket would be ceded to Northern Nigeria as part of efforts to maintain regional balance and internal equity.
The convention comes as key opposition figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined party leaders and delegates at the Abuja gathering.
Saturday’s convention is expected to ratify several recent decisions taken by the party’s National Executive Committee, including zoning arrangements, amendments to the party constitution, and the election of new national executives.
According to the convention agenda obtained by journalists, discussions centred on zoning, ratification of the amended constitution, and leadership restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC has in recent weeks witnessed a surge in defections from rival opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
On Tuesday, no fewer than 17 members of the House of Representatives defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Their defections were formally announced during plenary at the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene, Murphy Omoruyi and Abdulhakeem Ado.
The defections came barely two days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC from the ADC.
The duo were presented with the party’s membership cards last Sunday shortly after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, officially welcomed the opposition figures into the party.
Obi had attributed his exit from the ADC to worsening internal crises, external interference and what he described as increasing hostility within party structures.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s political environment had become increasingly toxic, marked by intimidation, insecurity and sustained scrutiny of opposition figures.
He also lamented that institutions meant to protect citizens were now often deployed against them, while individuals committed to genuine public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
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