Youths urge FG to implement national policy

As the world marks International Youth Day, Nigerian youths have called on the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive and actionable National Youth Policy that addresses the specific needs and challenges of young people in the country.

They noted that the policy, currently under review, must go beyond mere promises and provide tangible solutions to issues such as education, employment, and healthcare.

They spoke on Monday at an International Youth Day event hosted by Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs), in partnership with Oxfam in Nigeria, under the theme “From Awareness to Action: Empowering Youth in Nigeria for the SDGs” in Abuja.

The event is celebrated annually on August 12 to raise awareness of issues affecting young people globally.

The Federal Government had through the Ministry of Youth Development in January inaugurated a National Committee for the review of National Youth Policy (NYP) 2019 -2023.

Communication Officer, Oxfam in Nigeria, Maxwell Osarenkhoe, noted that citizens are too focused on the Federal Government and do not hold leaders at the grassroots accountable.

He urged the government to ensure that the National Youth Policy which is currently under review speaks to specific issues, and has tangible steps for implementation.

Osarenkhoe stated: “So part of the room to bridge the intergenerational gap that we’ve seen is through policies. This is because when policies actually work, we don’t have to talk too much.

“Just recently, when the Minister of youth was sworn in, we were invited to come participate in the review of the National Youth Policy, which we are still working on, and by the time we are done, we believe more credible solutions will be provided, and also critical issues will also be addressed.

“Another aspect too is listening. Part of the way our system operates looks so much concentrated on the federal level than from a constituency-based approach.

“When things happen most times we are constrained to federal but have we tried to reach out to different constituency representatives to air our challenges and make things happen? If you don’t start from that grassroots, from bottom to top approach, instead of just straight to top, you cannot get that desired change because it trickles down.”

Programme Manager, Global Initiative for Food Security and and Ecosystem Preservation, Joseph Ibrahim, observed that the government is disconnected from its young people.

He said the current generation of leaders in the country largely had various opportunities when they were young but have deny the current generation similar opportunities.

For the Programme manager, NGYouthSDGs, Nigeria is on track to achieve youth-related objectives in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We also understand the importance of intergenerational collaboration. Older people are here as well. We have the ideas, and we want to bridge that gap so that when young people get to meet with the older people, they can actually network and also engage with them in what they are doing,” she said.

Communications Manager, NGYouthSDGs, Aliyu Yusuf, said the event is significant as it aims to drive momentum towards achieving the SDGs by recognising and amplifying the efforts of young people making tangible impacts in their communities.