Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ede Dafinone, has said Nigeria needed continuity in the ongoing reform programme of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that the country cannot afford to abandon the process of economic and institutional reforms midway.
Dafinone spoke on Saturday at the Okpe Youth Council (OYC) World Youth Conference 2026, held at Edion Hall, Orerokpe, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, where he also received an Outstanding Leadership Award from the leadership of the council in recognition of his service and leadership.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the conference, the senator said the Tinubu administration had embarked on far-reaching 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,” Dafinone said.
“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,” he added.
The senator, who served as Chairman of the conference themed, “Okpe Youths and the 21st Century Challenges,” also challenged young Nigerians to prepare themselves for the rapidly changing global economy by acquiring digital, entrepreneurial and practical skills, with particular emphasis on Artificial Intelligence.
Dafinone described AI as an increasingly important tool across professions and urged young people not to be left behind by technological changes reshaping the workplace and global economy.
“AI today already is an essential tool in every profession. Nobody should say that they don’t understand AI. Decision-making for everybody should require you to have a little bit of AI input to know a hundred percent of the facts on ground,” he said.
“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.
“No decision will be made by any individual within five years without AI input. That is how serious it is,” Dafinone added.
He said rising unemployment and changes in the global workplace had made it necessary for young people to look beyond conventional white-collar employment and develop skills capable of creating alternative sources of livelihood.
According to him, graduates should identify their talents, hobbies and practical abilities and explore opportunities to transform them into viable businesses rather than depending solely on jobs related to their university qualifications.
Dafinone noted that obtaining a university degree should not confine a graduate to a particular profession, citing former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who trained as a medical doctor before moving into banking and later public service, where he served as Governor of Kwara State, Senator and President of the Senate.
Using the preparation of business feasibility studies as an example, Dafinone said technology had substantially reduced some of the barriers previously faced by prospective entrepreneurs, stressing that young people must learn how to access, understand and productively apply available information.
He noted that automation and technological advancement were already transforming manufacturing and other sectors, making continuous learning, creativity and adaptability increasingly important for anyone seeking to remain competitive.
The Delta Central lawmaker therefore urged Okpe youths to take advantage of learning opportunities available online to acquire digital, entrepreneurial and other relevant skills that would position them for emerging opportunities.
Dafinone commended the leadership of the Okpe Youth Council for organising the conference and creating a platform to discuss challenges facing young people in the 21st century, while urging participants to translate the lessons from the gathering into practical steps towards personal and community development.
Earlier, the leadership of OYC, led by its National President, Comrade Moses Newcome Odiete, honoured Senator Dafinone with a distinguished service award for his outstanding leadership in the Senate and support for Okpe and Urhobo youths.
