The Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and LEAP Africa have initiated a project to equip Nigerian youths with leadership skills.
The project also involved educational opportunities tailored to support and strengthen youth leadership and the ecosystem in Nigeria to complement government efforts at empowering the youth
The Executive Director, of Leap Africa, Kehinde Ayeni, while speaking at the program themed, “The Nigeria we want to Report”, said the project aimed at making a productive and sustainable society where youths are involved in making policies that concern their lives and well-being.
She said: “Young people under the age of 30 comprise more than 70 per cent of the Nigerian population, with projections that this figure will continue to grow over the next few decades.
“Given the significant number of youth, researchers have suggested that the future progress of Nigeria is based upon the extent to which young people are educated, skilled, healthy and active in civic and political processes, including their involvement in the formation of long-term development strategies.
“The government should be held accountable for policy making and the decisions they make, the government and allies of the government, the private sectors and stakeholders and those advocating for good governance.”
He added that the project would be leveraging on the delegates to ensure that they are mobilizing locally at the grassroots level so that people understand the roles they play when it comes to engendering the report.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive of Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, stated that the youths should always be at the centre of every decision-making process, as these decisions oftentimes, affect the youths.
He called Nigerian youths equal partners in the development of the country and urged the current government to have at least, 10 per cent of youth in government so as to groom them to be involved in policy-making.
He noted that today’s youth embodied the hope and promise of a thriving Nigeria that will lead the African continent for generations to come.
According to him, the youths hold a world of promise and it was strategically imperative that a country such as Nigeria has leaders ensuring the delivery or actualization of this promise.
Also present at the program, Director of Programs,, LEAP Africa, Amabelle Nwakanma, noted that the role of the organization in youth development is creating platforms, opportunities, and room to ensure that young people and their agencies are well supported.
She said: “It is important for young people to realize they have a powerful voice. As a vibrant group, youth have the power to unite, harness their potential, and stir positive change
“The Nigeria we Want report is an opportune time for young people because in order to hone the skills and knowledge of young people for effective participation, decision-making and co-creation of knowledge in diverse spaces, there is a need for nuanced capacity building sessions and interventions aimed at fortifying young leaders for sustainable development.
