Lagos — Federal Government has been urged to provide the enabling environment for the empowerment of the teeming youths in Nigeria, most of whom are unemployed, and assist the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with funds to enable them create jobs.

Chief Executive Officer, School of Business and Finance, Dr. Mobolaji Shodiya, who is also the Pastor, The Solution Centre, Ota, Ogun state, made the appeal while speaking at the second Business and Finance Convention organised by the school in Ota at the weekend.

Shodiya, who maintained that "poverty is at the root of our problems in Nigeria," lamented the situation in which "most people are not skilled and not schooled", saying "the wealth of the nation is inside the people."

He appealed to government at all tiers and levels to assist upcoming non-governmental organisations, especially those with a focus on poverty alleviation, saying assistance and funding should not be limited to big and well established organisations alone.

Shodiya , who also said the Business and Finance seminar is a national programme targeted at eradicating poverty in the country, maintained: "It is a national programme, we are only hosting it in Ota but we shall be taking it to Lagos next year."

According to him, "It is not a church affair and is not targeted at the youths alone. We are poised to helping everybody get out of poverty irrespective of age and religious conviction."

The convention, which was attended by over 500 youths and adults from different parts of the country, featured motivational talks from the C.E.O of Common Sense Limited, Pastor Olumide Emmanuel, who shared with the participants the secrets of wealth creation . The participants were also taken through different sessions of skills acquisition training in different vocations .