As the menace of cult activities and unemployment continue to increase in the nation, the former Ogun State Deputy Governor, Sen. Shefiu Adegbenga Kaka has advised Nigerian youths to shun cultism by embracing moral values,  be creative, and develop initiatives  that would impact society positively.

Sen. Kaka who was the Chairman at the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Ogun State Branch, 2023 Sanyaolu Memorial Annual Lecture, held at Ok event centre, Ibara, Abeokuta, said the institution (NIS) has a role to play in nurturing the youths, more importantly when youths were more into cultistism, due to idleness as a result of  unemployment in the country.

He said that the theme of the lecture,  "Combating The Twin Menaces Of Youth Unemployment And Insecurity In Nigeria: The Roles Of The Professional Elites"  was timely as it was in tandem with what the nation is witnessing.

While calling on the professionals to devise means of nurturing the youths, he enjoined the young people to shun and resist peer influences that could lead them to vices and crime.

In his goodwill message, the President, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Surv. (Dr.) Matthew Ibitoye said that as a professional elite, it was imperative to uphold the ethics of the profession at all times as they were representative of the institution.

He proposed that  youths should be fully engaged in entrepreneural skill and jettisoned the idea of chasing shadows or looking for a white colar job that were not in existence.

He said poor governance, over dependence on Western education without learning business skills, and a decrease in  established companies by government and stakeholders were also factors that gave birth to unemployment.

The guest lecturer from Olabisi Onabanjo University Prof. Taiwo Edun, said youths unemployment was becoming complex to manage and beyond a manageable stage considering the number of graduating students from the Nigerian tertiary institutions that were not gainfully employed.

According to him, unemployment was directly linked to crime rate and insecurity adding that Nigerian youths go to school only to be educated and not necessarily for employment purposes as those who graduated years ago were still in search of jobs.

"Indeed, today in Nigeria, youth unemployment is alarming and it is increasing regularly which has resulted into different physical, social, economic, political and psychological trauma", Prof. Edun said

In his earlier speech, the Chairman, Ogun state branch of Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Surv. Ademola  Adebowale cited late Surv. Adefemi Sanyaolu humble beginning from being a Survey Assistant in 1950  to becoming a Technical Officer in 1961, before joining the state's Civil Service as Assistant Surveyor General and became Surveyor General in 1978 as example for youths to adopt in their quests to becoming great.

He appreciated the Ogun state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for his style of governance and relative peace in the state and the platform provided by the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) and and SURCON State Ethics Committee in the state to annually hold the lecture in memory of Sanyaolu.