Federal Capital Territory Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has stated that youth inclusiveness in governance is a panacea to a better and greater Nigeria.
The minister in a statement on Wednesday, by Austine Elemue,
Special Adviser on Media stated that she made the disclosure at the FCT Youth Virtual Town Hall meeting, were she opined that the FCT Administration has designed various developmental modules for the youths and that would be unveiled in a matter of weeks.
The Town Hall meeting which was anchored by the president of Pan African Young Women Development Initiative, Dr. Jophia Nanker Gupar, had also the chairman of FCT National Youth Council of Nigeria, Mr. Ango Suleiman, Coordinator Conference for Patriotic Citizens FCT, Mr. Zakari Gambo Babale, Vice President North Central National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Muktar Akoshile, National Coordinator Association of Uniform Voluntary Organisation, Mr. Abraham Kwaghfan, and Comrade Johnson Kolawale Michael as speakers.
Specifically, the minister argued that the youths should be included in large numbers especially as stakeholders where they would be assigned roles to play from the planning of any policy to its implementation, just as she tasked the youths on constructive engagements.
Aliyu also stated that the successes achieved by the FCT Administration during the palliative distribution was as a result of youth engagements, stressing that the FCT youths stood tall and entered all the nooks and cranny of the territory to distribute the palliative items equitably.
She, therefore, affirmed that any society that turns its ear or eliminates the youths from participation was destined to starve to death, adding that the economy of such society would definitely bleed to death.
In her words; “As your co-youth development personality, I have taken giant stride of ensuring that we enter into a partnership with some training bodies in the country to ensure that we engage FCT youths on sustainable entrepreneurship.
“My technical and committed team within the Federal Capital Territory and beyond have been able to design various developmental modules for the Nigerian youths and that will be unveiled in a matter of weeks from now
“Youth inclusiveness in governance is a panacea to a better and greater Nigeria. Youth should be included in large number in governance, but not necessarily as a political office holders, but as constant stakeholders where they would have a role to play, from the planning of the policy to its implementation. When youths are practically engaged in the processes of decision making, I know their interest will be captured from the beginning”.
While appealing to youths to be their brothers keeper, the minister noted that the Town Hall meeting was designed to achieve inclusiveness in governance among youths in the territory and beyond, adding that the forum would also give government the opportunity to build a strong cohesive environment for better learning, fruitful engagements, and a befitting society.
Participants at the Town Hall meeting commended the FCT Minister of State for providing the platform to ventilate ideas with a view to providing good governance to residents of the territory.
Issues raised by speakers include scaling up entrepreneurship among youths in the territory, environmental sanitation in rural communities, job creation, security, good road network in the area councils among others.
