The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) has called for more active participation and representation of youths in governance.
The group said youths constitute a larger percentage of the Nigerian population, and so t is needful for them to be agents of positive change and crusaders for good governance through active participation.
The Executive Director, Mrs. Abimbola Aladejare, spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday at the training of Ekiti Youth Agenda Technical Committee members, organised in collaboration with National Democratic Institute (NDI), USAID and UKAID.
Aladejare noted that young people have been marginalised in the country’s development process because of the conspiracy of the elite, making it impossible for youths to keep on the fringes of leadership.
She added that money politics syndrome has characterised the Nigerian political terrain, thus making it difficult for the average young person struggling financially to participate in decision-making process.
The ED, however, called for a support system and enabling environment for inclusive participation of youth in governance, saying young people can bring innovative ideas and vision capable of effecting socio-economic development of the nation.
She urged Governor kayode Fayemi to prioritise youth agenda in policy formulation and implementation.
Commissioner for Youth and Sport Development Michael Awopetu assured the youths that the Fayemi-led administration would promote policies and programmes capable of emancipating them from poverty and unemployment.
According to him, the government’s four-cardinal point was targeted at engendering youth development, adding that development of any ideal society depends on the youth who remain potent catalyst for development.
He hinted that the government has embarked on youth development programmes with the focus of empowering unemployed youths through discovery of talent and ideas, as well as skills acquisition.
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