FG to unveil Blueprint for young Nigerians

FG to unveil Blueprint for young Nigerians

•Commences review of National Youth Development Policy

The Federal Government is to unveil the Blueprint for young people in Nigeria which will reflect the collective aspirations for the country.

Similarly, government has commenced the review of the National Youth Development Policy and is working to have more young voices contribute to the policy with the guidance and experience of the older generation.

Minister of Youths Development, Jamila Ibrahim Bio, disclosed this at the 2023 Gender and Inclusion Summit organized by the Policy Innovation Centre, of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) with the theme: ‘Building Bridges: Advancing Gender and Inclusion through the Intersection of Trade and Health.’

The minister lamented that Nigerian youths are confronted with high levels of unemployment and inadequate opportunities to thrive, adding that such was collaborated by the pervasive Japa occurrence which has its gains and also its demerits.

Bio stated that the mass exodus of young Nigerians from the country as a coping mechanism for greener pastures can be taken advantage of, stressing that there are Asian countries that have reversed the brain drain to brain gain.

She said, ‘What is the hope for Nigerian youths is it s threat to be a young person in Nigeria? If the young able-bodied Nigerians struggle this much, how much more the impaired?

In the next couple of days, the opportunities in our land are realizable for our young people and Nigeria young people are capable of changing the landscape of Nigeria’s economy.”

The minister who expressed the commitment of the present administration to bridge the inclusion gaps in the country, said that the creative sector has a important role to play in shaping and molding our young people especially with the content we put out there.

According to her, “We need to be very intentional with our songs and be intentional in driving massages through arts, these massages have to reflect our morals, culture and values as a nation’ .

She told the youths to understand that power is never given, but negotiated hence the need to seize every opportunity to develop relevant skills that will make us invaluable resources and make it inevitable for us to be called to the table and also step forward.

Also speaking, Executive Director, Policy Innovation Centre, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, stated that the Summit sought to advance gender and inclusion by harnessing the potential of trade to promote economic participation, reduce inequalities, improve access to opportunities as well as innovative approaches to bridging healthcare financing gaps and access to quality healthcare services.

She said, “We recognized that it is impossible to be productive without health. “We want to ensure that we have a healthy and productive country and ensure that we advance trade among women, young people, people with disabilities, vulnerable men and provide an opportunity to have real conversation to know who needs to be included, who needs to be programmed to where the policy interventions go to ensure that we are building a gender-inclusive society.”

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer Designate of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dr Tayo Aduloju stated that ‘’To facilitate the advancement of a gender-inclusive society, it is necessary to consider how trade, investment, and health policies/interventions affect women, men, and vulnerable populations differently.”

He noted that despite their significant contributions to informal trade, women continue to have limited access to resources and markets adding that there are also significant gaps in access to health services and Nigeria’s maternal mortality remains among the highest in the world.