The Minister of Youth Development, Boni Haruna, has disclosed the federal government’s commitment to mainstreaming youth issues, saying youths are critical stakeholders in national transformation.
In a statement by the Assistant Director Press and Public Relations, Olusola Abiola, Haruna disclosed this when a youth non-governmental organization, Citizen Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria led by its Director-General, Comrade Preye Dressman, paid him a courtesy visit.
Haruna who noted that youths occupy over 65 percent of the country’s total population, added that mainstreaming their issues is paramount as this would give them considerable attention in the nation’s deployment of her vast resources.
He reasoned that the large number of youth population as it stands today gives them the capacity to determine the country’s leaders.
He however said it is this fact which has guided the ministry in its bid to develop proactive and transformational programmes for the youths so as to ensure proper harnessing of their talents.
“We would work assiduously with the Citizen Network for Peace and Development and other similar organizations to develop robust framework for youth development noting that their objective which is to promote peace and national development is in tandem with the mandate of the Ministry, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Director-General of the organisation, Comrade Preye Dressman, stated that his organization is focused on actualizing their mission which is to promote peace, developmental social justice, good governance, leadership and youth development in Nigeira.