Ilorin – Mr Olasupo Abideen, the founder, the Brain Builders International, an NGO, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to involve youths in decision-making to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Abideen, also a student of University of Ilorin, made the call at a workshop organised by his NGO for some youths at the University in Ilorin, Kwara.
He said that the aim of workshop was to educate youths and task them on the importance of ensuring the success of the SDGs.
Abideen said that youths had important roles to play in the development of Nigeria and Africa.
He said that youths “are the engine room of any nation and as such the development and prosperity or otherwise of any nation depend largely on the actions and inactions of her youthful population”.
Abideen attributed the alleged failure of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria to sheer ignorance of the young people about the programme and the low level of publicity it enjoyed.
“The SDGs are lofty and ambitious targets which seek to end poverty, hunger and inequality; improving access to education and health, taking proactive action on climate change and environment, among other goals.”
”The knowledge of the SDGs by the youths as well as the realisation of their responsibilities as the leaders of today and not the purported tomorrow would certainly contribute immensely to the desired actualisation of these set goals and targets.
“Brain Builders International has deemed it fit and thought it wise to empower young people of all backgrounds with adequate and requisite information.
“This information will help us join hands with other peoples of the world to partner towards programme conceptualisation, domestication, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the sustainable goals in Nigeria,” he said.
The university of Ilorin student urged government to prioritise investment on development, especially in pro-poor infrastructure and utilities, to ensure that the programme success indicators were linked directly with positive impacts.
“In this regard, power supply must be made to work, road networks should be improved upon, energy, especially petroleum scarcity needs to be looked into while security of lives and property should be meaningfully addressed,” he said.
Abideen stressed the need for the Federal Government “to start implementing the SDGs across borders so that the post 2015 development goals would not suffer the same fate that the MDGs suffered.
He also called for the cooperation of the media in the implementation process of the SDGs, especially in the areas of advocacy, sensitisation and creating awareness of the goals.
Dr Saudat Abdulbaqi, the Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, said that youths must be adequately informed and educated for them to make the right choices.
Abdulbaqi called for formulation of development goals in line with the nation’s socio-cultural values and the economic realities of the environment for successful implementation of SDGs in the country. (NAN)
