Stakeholders have called for an accelerated inclusion of young people especially in policy review processes to bridge the gap between policy makers and youths.
They made the call at the National Youth Leadership Conference with the theme: “Amplifying Youth Voice and Forging Opportunities for Collaborative Policy Making”.
It was aimed at empowering the youths with the requisite leadership skills and promote their active participation in policy making.
This is against the backdrop that in spite of youths comprising of more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s
population, they are often marginalised from decision making processes that directly impact them.
Thus, the one-day conference was organised by an NGO, International Alert, in collaboration with The Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) and The International Organisation for
Migration (IOM).
It was in the bid to amplify the voices of young people and bring the issues of their inclusiveness in governance to the front burner.
The Country Director, International Alert Nigeria,Paul Nyulaku, said the conference was designed to address the prevailing gap in youth engagement within policy formulation, particularly concerning the review of the National Youth Policy.
According to Nyulaku, the event, which also marks the International Youth Day,with the theme “Green Skills for Youth Towards a Sustainable World”, underscored the need for youth participation and their role in development.
He said that although there have been quite a lot of interests around youth involvement, however, it would continue to remain a dream if actionable steps were not taken.
Nyulaku said: “What stands this particular event out is that we have the committee reviewing the National Youth Policy present here , we have been working very closely with them and having some engagements and even afterwards.
“We shall be taking it forward with some guidance or policy notes where we identified a couple of youth leaders that will continue the conversation.
“We want to have like an action plan for how the voices of youth in this conversation can be well mainstreamed into the National Youth Policy, which hopefully in the first quarter of next year will be out.”
Nyulaku said that youth leaders doing very well in their chosen fields of endeavour were deliberately selected for robust engagement on their constraints and to chart the way forward for productive youth participation in policy making.
He added that senior government officials from different ministries, departments and agencies were also present to tell tell the youths about the opportunities existing for them.
He added: “So, this is a sort of two way conversation where we as third party stand in the middle to see how we can bridge the gap.
“This is to ensure that the policymakers very well let youths know what the entry points are and the youths are able to talk about what policy gaps or policy constraints will not enable them to reach their potential.”
Dr Arome Salifu, Executive Director of Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF),said in celebration this year’s Youth Day, AYGF along with its partner, International Alert, with funding support from the European Union and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), planned series of events.
Salifu said this was aimed at advocating and advancing youths inclusion within the developmental agenda of the new government.
He said there was an online youth challenge, which garnered the participation of over 93 individuals from across the nation and three winners emerged to receive prizes totalling N1million.
Salifu said: “Today’s event will bring together young leaders, academics and policy makers for engaging discussions on youth development and public policies.
“These would be done through, paper presentations, panel discussions and robust audience participation and feedback.
“The aim at the end of the day is to draw the attention of key stakeholders, both those in government, those outside government and the young people themselves on the need to prioritise their voice, their interests, their welfare, their safety and their dignity.’
Salifu said those interests would then be mainstreamed into development interventions from policy design, to project design to implementation at the federal, state and local government levels.
“So, apparently, this is meant to escalate those voices and indeed project them accordingly, in order for us to ensure that we have guaranteed sustainable development for young people in the country,”he said.
The Chief of Mission of International Organization for Migration (IOM ,Nigeria, Mr Laurent De Boeck, said the theme for this year’s youth day underscored the need for all stakeholders to be committed to the participation and involvement of youth.
Represented by Aisha Dahiru, IOM’s
Youth Focal person,De Boeck said the representation should be in national policy, social inclusion, entrepreneurship, climate change issues and development for national productivity and growth.
De Boeck said that the great asset of youth population has given Nigeria room to diversify its economic approach by harnessing youth innovative ideas and skills, youth inclusive policies and addressing the issues of unemployment.
He said: “As part of IOMs youth strategy, its Mission and Vision lay great emphasis on comprehensive programmes and interventions that address youth unique needs, enhance their skills and capacities.
“It also creates an enabling environment for their holistic development to break the vicious circle of poverty and the dangers to irregular migration.
” I urge every youth today to see that the future of this great nations lays upon their ability to actively participate and involve in all economic, political, and social policies for a better and sustainable Nigeria.”
The Chairman , Nigeria Governors’ Forum(NGF), Gov. AbdulRazaq AbdulRahaman of Kwara, said that it was committed to the welfare and development of youths through education and empowerment for national socio-economic development.
Represented by Dr Ebenezer Leo ,Head of Education Development NGF,AbdulRahaman said the forum was open for partnership in providing economic sustainable future for youths in Nigeria in all spheres to curb social vices .
Source: News Agency of Nigeria