ABUJA (Youth Development Ministry Report) – The Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna has called for the establishment of a United Nations Agency on Youth similar to the United Nations Agency on Women.
While speaking at the just concluded 2014 World Conference on Youth held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from May 6 – 10 2014, the Minister in presenting the country’s position to the 169 delegates from across the world, emphasized that the establishment of the institutional platform under the United Nations system will afford world youths a global voice. Adding, the Nigerian Government is willing to host the agency in Nigeria.
He inferred from the recent creation of the Commonwealth Youth Council that with the UN Youth Agency the youths will be afforded a platform to harness their resources and contribute significantly to world debate and development through a single coordinated voice.
During his speech on youth matters, the Minister revealed that the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan-led Administration has been conceived to be a development strategy for effective transformation of the youth sector, especially in the post – 2015 sustainable development agenda. He also stated that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has done considerably well in addressing youth challenges and in moving the sector forward through proactive and economic-based programmes and initiatives.
He cited YouWin, the Youth Employment in Agriculture Program (YEAP) as well as SURE-P and the proposed National Youth Development Fund as part of Government’s initiatives towards creating employment opportunities for the youths. “In all these areas, there have been visible government intervention programs. The strategy for the implementation of the policy thrust of the Transformation Agenda is that it is multi – sectoral driven. Indeed, almost all the MDAs and the private sector agencies have youth development components whose programs have impacted positively on the Nigerian youth,” he observed.
Boni Haruna identified some of the challenges facing youths in Nigeria to include: joblessness and disconnection from mainstream development initiatives, saying these have contributed to the present security challenges in the country. He said: “In spite of these challenges, the youth sector has remained vibrant. The Nigerian youth has continued to find relevance and to prove themselves where opportunities exist. It was here in Colombo last year that a Nigerian youth and a product of our own youth parliament having served as Chief Whip emerged as the inaugural Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council.”
The Minister commended the organizers of the conference for its theme which was targeted at mainstreaming youth issues in the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals. He expressed fulfillment for being part of the epoch making conference; mentioning that it is the first of its kind as an avenue for policy makers and youth to discuss and set a development Agenda with emphasis on mainstreaming the youth in the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals.
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