Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering the Arewa community through targeted capacity-building programmes to enhance their productivity and contributions to society.

The governor gave the assurance on Wednesday while receiving members of the South West Arewa Community’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Asiwaju 2027, led by its Director-General, Alhaji Shehu Usman, during a courtesy visit to his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Commending the community for its peaceful coexistence with host communities, Abiodun emphasised the need to equip individuals with relevant skills to prevent them from being exploited for destabilising activities.

“We will focus on ensuring that we provide human capital development for our Arewa brothers so they will not be used as tools for destruction. I assure you that whatever I can do as governor to support this initiative, I will do,” he said.

Highlighting the dangers of youth idleness, the governor noted that meaningful engagement and access to opportunities are crucial in steering young people away from negative influences.

“We must give people a sense of belonging and engage them on available opportunities—what they can do with their lives—because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. That is why many youths become tools in the hands of dubious individuals due to idleness,” he added.

Abiodun also expressed a willingness to collaborate with the group to design empowerment initiatives tailored to the community’s needs.

“I will be happy to work with you to develop programmes that will help empower your people. You should identify what they can do, how they can be engaged, and how they can positively impact their lives,” he said.

The governor further commended the group for its leadership role within the Arewa community in the South West, noting that such efforts help curb misinformation and foster better understanding among diverse groups.