The Nigerian youth say they are tired of policy makers planning their future for them without their own participation. They are asking for space to participate in the governance of Nigeria. The Nigeria government is now answering to that cry as the 2019 general elections draw near.

At the Seventh Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at UN Headquarters in New York, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Solomon Dalung, said the Federal Government will accommodate more young people in the running of the country since they were now asking for more space to participate in governance.

Dalung said: “The ‘Not Too Young to Rule’ law in Nigeria is a demonstration of the Nigerian nation determination to open up the political space to accommodate the young people.

“Young people today are asking: where is the space for them to express themselves? They are asking the politicians – where is the space for their participation in governance?

“They are asking the business community – how are you mentoring us to ensure inter-generational transition? They are asking policy makers – why are you planning our future without consulting us?

“They are asking the United Nation: when will our space exist for us to participate”.

According to NAN, the Minister said, “the case for urgent, participatory, and inclusive engagement with young people has never held as much potential for return as now.

“Young people, if empowered, either as individuals or through their organisations or work places, are productive force that can add positive value to their communities.

“When a nation leveraged on the numbers of the young people, harness their productivity, channel their energies and exploit their potential, the nation reaps the dividends.

“He called for a renewed commitment and attention to justice and equity from developed countries, saying they must ensure that their relationships with the developing countries are predicated on the principles of justice”.

“They must therefore rise to demonstrate greater social responsibility to tackle unfairness and imbalance over their decades of exploitation of natural and human resources of the developing nations,” he said.

According to the report from NAN the Minister, Mr.Dalung in his speech, thanked ECOSOC for its involvement with young people in Nigeria through its continued partnership with the Ministry through the Economic Commission for Africa.

He said, “Apart from the many capacity building opportunities offered to my staff in the last decade, we have worked variously towards achieving the five priority areas on youth in the Secretary-General’s Five-Year Action Agenda.

“These are: employment and entrepreneurship, education, protection of rights and civic engagement, political inclusion and health, one of the last being the Regional Report on the Status of Youth in Africa.”

Source: NAN; Image source: guardian.ng.

Nigeria political space to accommodate the youths in 2019

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