ABUJA (SUNDIATA POST)- Ms Titilope Gbadamosi, Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives, Monitoring and Delivery, has urged young people to harness programmes initiated by the Federal Government to advance national growth.
Gbadamosi disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the two-day youth empowerment programme, organised by the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in collaboration with Nigerian Youth SDGs, Oxfam and other partners on Monday in Abuja.
The programme centered on commemorating the International Youth Day (IYD), annually celebrated on Aug. 12, focusing on decent work and active citizenship.
Gbadamosi said, “We have launched new initiatives aimed at improving educational opportunities, vocational training and entrepreneurial skills among young people through vigorous and rigorous evaluations.
“It is vital that young people are aware and take advantage of the different initiatives rolled-out by different Miniseries Department and Agencies (MDAs) that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“As we move from awareness to action, it is important that Nigerian youths understand that these initiatives and goals work hand in hand, as we commemorate the IYD.
“I urge Nigerian youths to seize the opportunities before them, to participate actively in the initiatives government has rolled-out for them and contribute to building more sustainable and prosperous Nigeria.”
In her remarks, Dr Jamila Ibrahim, the Minister of Youth Development, said the Federal Executive Council had created 30 per cent quota to enable Nigerian youth access opportunities across all government MDAs.
Ibrahim represented by Chizozie Okwara, Special Assistant to the minister, urged young people to collaborate with the ministry to achieve more meaningful growth.
“We can start conversation and do not need to wait for government to create programmes before we take action. We have Oxfam, UN and many others, let’s engage and bring them close to us.
“Government will create the enabling environment and platforms for such programme initiatives to thrive,” she said.
Joshua Alada, Executive-Director, Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative, underscored the need for young people to always participate in policies and programmes that would enable them succeed.
“We are not just here to talk about SDGs, but to take action and make progress. It is also an opportunity to look at the summit of the future happening in September.
“The perfect time for us to hold government, private sector and International organisations accountable to supporting youth leadership is now.
“This is about the world that we want the world we want to inherit and more importantly, how we can ensure young people are involved in this process,” he said.
John Makina, Country Director of Oxfam in Nigeria, quoted the National Youth Policy, describing youths as those from 18 to 35 years.
He, however, stated that 70 per cent of such population in Nigeria fall under the age of 30, saying there should be no conversation regarding sustainability of the future that could be heard without their inclusion.
“As we look at Nigerian society today, it is evident that we are facing a lot of challenges threatening sustainability of the future with issues of climate change being one such threat.
“By supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing sustainable solutions to local and global challenges, we can unlock new opportunities for economic growth, while safeguarding our natural resources.” (NAN)
