What 2019 holds for FCT residents—FCTA

—-Soft loans, increased youth employment

—-Infrastructure devt, provision of social services, others top list

By Victoria Agorom

As the year 2019 rolls off steadily, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged FCT residents to be optimistic about the year and expect improved services from government.

Lives will be greatly affected positively through proactive policies, infrastructure will continue to receive steadfast uplift, with further stimulants to business growth to increase wealth intensified, the Administration said.

Speaking exclusively to Abuja Digest Weekly following enquiry by the newspaper, Acting Director, FCT Department of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics (EPRS), Mohammed Lawal Abubakar, stated that the Administration of FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, is poised to provide more improved services to better the lot of residents using available but limited resources.

He posited that although accomplishments may not be at 100 per cent due to diverse services competing for attention, the Administration is committed to achieving improvements in infrastructure as well as other social services.

For instance, Abubakar said to curb the rising spate of unemployment particularly among the youth, which is part of the cardinal objectives of the present Administration, it plans to engage more youths in its services and in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by providing them with soft loans and trainings. He posited that it was the reason for the creation of Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA)

Still on youth development, he said that EPRS, as a coordinating Department is championing the FCT/United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Youth Mobile Training Programme in which 400 youths from Bwari and Abuja Municipal Area Councils (AMAC) were in 2018 given various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) trainings on Computer Applications creation, computer and phone repairs.

The Acting Director disclosed that for this fiscal year, a total number of 600 youths from Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali Area Councils will also be accommodated in the programme.

According to Abubakar, already SMEs are emerging from the programme, adding that some of the youth have been engaged by UNESCO while others were taken abroad by the world body to showcase their skills and for further exposure.

On the economy, Abubakar was of the opinion that should the present Administration return to power following next month’s poll, the continuity and consolidation of its laudable programmes will lead to a better economic outlook this year, especially in the fight against corruption.

He stressed that there is no country without corrupt individuals but the major need is for the society to be determined to curb the ills which according to him, will ultimately lead to huge savings, which often went illegally into private pockets, but will now be deployed for better services to the masses.