…Urges Okpe youths to master AI, embrace entrepreneurship
Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has called for continuity in the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying Nigeria cannot afford to abandon ongoing economic and institutional reforms midway.
Dafinone spoke at the 2026 World Youth Conference of the Okpe Youth Council (OYC) held at Edion Hall, Orerokpe, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, where he also received an Outstanding Leadership Award from the council.
The conference, themed “Okpe Youths and the 21st Century Challenges,” was chaired by Dafinone, who used the occasion to urge young Nigerians to prepare for the changing global economy by acquiring digital, entrepreneurial and practical skills.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, the senator said the Tinubu administration had implemented significant reforms within its first three years and should be allowed to consolidate the process.
“The roadmap for development is very clear. Equally, at the national level, our President has executed an enormous amount of reforms, given his just three years in office,” he said.
Dafinone added: “I want to believe that the reform process is still on, and he has many more reforms to go. Our country needs to be fixed.
“A possibility of a new team coming on board that will start from scratch again is not what Nigeria needs. We need a tried and tested President, with his tried and tested team, in order to fix Nigeria and get us on the right track.”
‘Master AI or be left behind’
Turning to the challenges confronting young people, Dafinone urged Okpe youths to embrace Artificial Intelligence, describing it as an increasingly important tool across virtually every profession.
“AI today already is an essential tool in every profession. Nobody should say that they don’t understand AI,” he said.
According to him, young people must adapt to the speed of technological change and acquire skills that will enable them to compete in the emerging economy.
“The world is changing very quickly, and our young ones must change with it. If, at my age, I’m studying AI, I don’t know why any young person should not also pick it up and become a master in it,” he said.
The senator said AI, automation and other technological developments were already changing workplaces and businesses, stressing that continuous learning and adaptability would increasingly determine access to economic opportunities.
He therefore advised youths not to depend exclusively on conventional white-collar employment, particularly amid rising unemployment and changing labour-market demands.
Dafinone urged graduates to identify their talents, hobbies and practical abilities and develop them into businesses and other income-generating ventures.
He said obtaining a university degree should not restrict a person to a single career path, citing former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who trained as a medical doctor before moving into banking and subsequently public service.
He also encouraged young entrepreneurs to exploit digital tools for business research, feasibility studies and access to information, noting that technology had significantly reduced some of the barriers to starting and developing businesses.
Dafinone said the manufacturing sector and other areas of the economy were already experiencing the effects of automation, making creativity, skills acquisition and continuous self-development increasingly important.
He urged Okpe youths to take advantage of online learning opportunities to acquire AI, digital and entrepreneurial skills capable of positioning them for emerging opportunities.
The senator commended the OYC for convening the conference, describing it as an opportunity for young people to examine contemporary challenges and develop practical responses.
He urged participants to translate the lessons from the conference into concrete actions that would improve their lives and contribute to the development of Okpe communities.
Earlier, OYC National President, Comrade Moses Newcome Odiete, led the council in presenting Dafinone with an Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of his leadership in the Senate and support for Okpe and Urhobo youths.
