Stakeholders in Kogi state have appealed to the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to as a matter of urgency take steps towards setting up a youth commission office to enable it have platforms for interface with development partners.
The appeal was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day advocacy round table meeting held in Lokoja. It was organised by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with PIBCID and funded by GCERF and was on the operationalisation of the Kogi Youth Development Commission law which the state governor, Alhaji Bello has earlier signed into law in April , 2019.
The communiqué lamented that after signing of the law, operationalization of the commission is yet to commence, noting that other states which have borrowed leaf from Kogi state have made significant progress in their process towards operationalization of the Youth Development Commission.
The communique stated that the commission, when established by the state government would articulate the development aspirations and the needed structure to deliver a comprehensive programme of action for youth development in the state.
“The Youth Development Commission, thus, will pave the way for sustainable policies that will contribute to youth development and address some of the drivers of violent extremism in Kogi state.
“The commission will contextualise youth development needs in the state through research to identify labour market needs and areas of skill shortage and create and manage a strong database on youth development in the state.
“The commission would also provide a platform for articulating youth voices and ideas in framing development interventions in the state.
It will track all governmental investments on youth to facilitate planning, monitoring, and evaluation, the communiqué stated.
Participants at the meeting also revealed that donor’s partners, both foreign and within the country are actively waiting to partner and support the Government Youth Development Initiative.
