Minister Sam Engola Engages Lira Youth ( PLU)Promoters on Skills, Enterprise

Minister Sam Engola Engages Lira Youth Leaders on Skills, Enterprise and PLU Mobilisation

Lira District, Uganda: Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Relief, Hon. Sam Engola**, has engaged youth leaders in Lira District who are actively promoting the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), urging greater focus on practical interventions that can equip young people with skills, capital and opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods.

During the engagement, Minister Engola held discussions with the youth leaders on strategies for creating direct and actionable pathways to support young people through specialized vocational training, structured mentorship and enterprise development.

Engola emphasized the importance of placing youth empowerment at the centre of Uganda’s development agenda, noting that young people have a critical role to play in driving the country’s present and future economic growth.

**“Youth are the primary engines of Uganda’s present and future growth,” Engola said.

He stressed that political leadership should go beyond mobilization and promises by providing young people with practical resources that can enable them to turn their ideas and ambitions into sustainable businesses.

> **“True leadership requires that we back their ambition with concrete resources, unlocking access to practical skills, seed capital and market networks to help their businesses scale and sustain livelihoods,”** he said.

The Minister said vocational training remains an important pathway for preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship, particularly at a time when many youths are seeking alternative sources of income and opportunities outside formal employment.

He also highlighted the importance of mentorship, saying young entrepreneurs need guidance and business networks alongside financial support if their enterprises are to survive and grow.

Engola further commended the youth leaders for their involvement in promoting the PLU, describing their participation as a demonstration of what he characterized as **patriotism, hard work and commitment to national development**.

 “I commend you for choosing a path rooted in patriotism, hard work and national development through the PLU,” 

The engagement comes as youth empowerment remains a major issue in Uganda’s political and socioeconomic discourse, with calls for increased investment in vocational education, entrepreneurship, access to affordable financing and market opportunities.

For the youth leaders in Lira District, the engagement provided an opportunity to discuss how political mobilisation can be linked to practical economic empowerment and the creation of sustainable opportunities for young people.

The discussions are expected to contribute to broader efforts to strengthen youth participation in development while promoting skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and self-reliance among young people in Lira and beyond.