Enugu Govt Moves To Implement Youth Policy For Rapid Development

BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU

A one-day meeting of Youth-Stakeholders has ended in Enugu with concrete steps to fine-tune a Youth Policy for implementation in the state.

The Stakeholders’ engagement held on Saturday at the State Secretariat auditorium, Enugu was organized by the Enugu State Government through its Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with South Sahara Social Development Organisation (SSSDO) and National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Enugu State chapter.

The event which was sponsored by the ActionAid had participants drawn from different youth groups and organizations including the NYCN, People Living With Disabilities in the state.

Speaking at the event the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremmadu said the government was desirous in having a youth policy for proper planning.

Ekweremmadu said that the Ministry was planning to have a data containing all the youths in the state capital down to the communities, adding that it would be done in partnership with NYCN State Chapter.

“We are planning to have a youth data bank in Enugu State which will enable us to plan better for the youths of the state, ” he said.

According to him, the State Ministry of Youth and Sports was working in collaboration with the State Bureau of Statistics to realise the youth data bank.

“This policy is a very important endeavour that we are embarking on because prior to this time, Enugu State never had a youth policy”, the Commissioner said.

The Head of programme, SSSDO, Udochukwu Egwim, said that the engagement followed several others in the past which culminated in the draft youth policy ready for final adoption and implementation.

“After today, we seek to have a comprehensive youth policy in Enugu State”, he stated.

Wilfred Okeke, Consultant on the policy Convener, Vibrant Generation Leadership Initiative, delivered lecture titled: ‘Integrating Youth Perspectives into Enugu’s Youth Policy: Innovating for a Sustainability Future’ while Ogechi Nwonye, Founder, Eco Cyclers and Okechukwu Ajah, Researcher coordinated the interactions session on the policy.

Obiora Obasi, Technical Adviser to the Commissioner in his closing remarks, thanked the participants, sponsor and organisers for making the engagement a reality.

A stakeholder, Mrs Adaeze Isamade, Vice Chairman of NYCN, Oji River Local Government Area, advocated the establishment of supervising councillor for youths at the local government level.

Isamade said this would give more recognition and a boost to the implementation of youths policy at the grassroots.

The provisions in the draft youth policy included: Respect for human rights, peace, and security for youths, education, capacity-building, and economic engagement.

Others are: promotion of health and lifestyle re-orientation and youth inclusion and participation in civic and political processes.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.