APC senatorial candidate for Imo East, Prince Alex Mbata, has unveiled plans to prioritise youth development in Owerri Zone if elected to the Senate, promising to pursue opportunities in skills acquisition, enterprise, innovation, education and meaningful participation in governance.
Mbata made the commitment in an International Youth Day message to young people in Owerri Zone, saying his vision for youth development goes beyond campaign rhetoric. He described investment in young people as an investment in the future of the zone and said his representation would seek to create opportunities for youth to acquire relevant skills, build businesses and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
His proposed agenda, he said, would build on interventions through his foundation over the years, which has empowered women and young people across Owerri Zone through skills development, entrepreneurship support, education and other initiatives designed to improve livelihoods and economic independence.
“As I seek to represent Imo East in the Senate, I see youth development as more than a campaign promise. I see it as an investment in the future of Owerri Zone,” Mbata said.
He said he would use his position to advocate policies and opportunities that expand access to skills, enterprise, innovation and education, while creating greater room for youth participation in governance. “I want to be a voice for policies and opportunities that can expand access to skills, enterprise, innovation, education and meaningful participation in governance,” he said.
Mbata also urged young people to reject activities capable of undermining their future, including drug abuse, cultism, internet fraud, violence and gambling. He challenged them to embrace education, technology and entrepreneurship, urging them to “choose knowledge over ignorance, skills over idleness, enterprise over dependency and purpose over pressure.”
He said his broader objective was to help build an Owerri Zone where young people could find opportunities within their communities rather than being forced to leave in search of livelihoods. “Together, we can build an Owerri Zone where young people do not have to leave their communities before they can find opportunity, where talent is recognised, enterprise is encouraged and young people have a genuine stake in governance,” Mbata said, urging them to see themselves not merely as leaders of tomorrow but as stakeholders today.
