Ene Osang
Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni Haruna, has called for the establishment of a United Nations (UN) agency on youth.
Haruna made the call at the just concluded World Conference on Youth 2014 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, while expressing the federal government’s willingness to host the agency in Nigeria.
A statement by the ministry’s Assistant Director, Press and Public Information, Olusola Abiola, said Haruna claimed that an institutional platform for youths under the UN would give them a global voice.
He added that the platform would enable young people to harness their resources, and contribute significantly to world debate and development through a single coordinated voice.
The minister said the transformation agenda was geared towards effective transformation of the youth sector, through proactive and economic based programmes and initiatives.
He said: “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 component whose programs have impacted positively on the Nigerian Youth.”
He said joblessness and disconnection from mainstream development initiatives were challenges facing Nigerian youths, adding that “this has lead to high level of insecurity in the country.”
“In spite of these challenges, the youth sector has remained vibrant. The Nigerian youth have continued to find relevance and prove themselves where opportunities abound. It was here in Colombo last year that a Nigerian youth and a product of our own Youth Parliament where he was one time its Chief Whip emerged as the inaugural Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council.”