The government of Nigeria has described the issue of advancing youth development as a multi-faceted phenomenon that requires a multi-sectoral approach, saying no one agency or organ of government can adequately address youth challenges in the country, Njenje Media News reports.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, stated this at the maiden International Youth Work Week Convention of Nigeria Youth Workers Association and Capacity Building Workshop held in Abuja at the weekend.
He called for all hands to be on deck in tackling the challenges and the time is now.
Quoting Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Dare said: “Young People ought not to be idle. It is very bad for them”.
He explained that, “it is this idleness of young people in our society that has either led to or heightened the very bad influences of kidnapping, insurgency, banditry, boko haram, human trafficking, prostitution, cybercrimes, terrorist activities, armed robbery with violence, etc.”
According to Dare, the present administration over the years has initiated and implemented various programmes and projects to curtail youth unemployment by engaging them in meaningful and productive ventures that led to socio-economic growth and development.
He stated further that, the National Youth Policy (NYP) and Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) as well as the National Youth Employment Template were all developed by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) to respond to Youth employment in Nigeria.
While speaking earlier, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, said the ministry identifies with the youth in this whole cause aimed at placing Nigeria on the league of the comity of nations that have professionalised youth work in the country for better service delivery.
According to him, many African countries have well-established youth workers associations that have taken youth development work a step further for the betterment of their youth, and Nigeria he said, is not left out.
