Governor Okpebholo Urges Edo Youths to Embrace Legitimate Paths, Reject Criminality

Kingsley Ohens reporting

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has urged young people across the state to embrace education, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship while shunning criminality, cultism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, kidnapping and violence.

Governor Okpebholo made the call in a message commemorating International Youth Day 2026, acknowledging the challenges confronting young people, including unemployment, the rising cost of education, limited access to capital and the uncertainties associated with early adulthood.

The Governor, however, urged Edo youths not to allow present difficulties to define their future, assuring them that his administration remained committed to creating opportunities that would enable them to acquire skills, secure livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.

“Your present circumstances do not have to determine your future,” Governor Okpebholo said.

He noted that his administration was investing in key sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, security and skills development, as part of efforts to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen the state’s economic base.

While urging youths to complement government initiatives with determination, discipline and hard work, the Governor stressed that sustainable prosperity could only be achieved through legitimate means.

“The government cannot do this alone. The future of Edo must be built with our young people, not merely for them,” he said.

Governor Okpebholo specifically cautioned youths against cultism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, kidnapping and other forms of criminality, describing them as destructive choices rather than shortcuts to wealth and success.

“There is honour in honest work. There is dignity in learning a trade. There is power in education, and there is lasting success in integrity,” he said.

Highlighting his administration’s efforts to deepen youth participation in governance, the Governor disclosed that 4,800 Special Assistants had been approved, with 25 drawn from each of the state’s 192 wards.

According to him, the initiative is designed to create opportunities for young people to participate in public service while strengthening grassroots governance and ensuring that government remains connected to communities across Edo State.

The Governor further stated that youth employment opportunities were being promoted through infrastructure development, agricultural initiatives and technology-driven ventures, in line with the administration’s five development pillars of Security, Health, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and Education.

“You are not leaders only of tomorrow. You are stakeholders in Edo today,” he said, urging young people to deploy their creativity, talents and energy towards building a more prosperous and secure state.

Governor Okpebholo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities for young people to acquire relevant skills, establish businesses, secure employment and play a greater role in Edo’s economic and social development.

The statement was issued on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, by Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Edo State.