FG NOT BACKING OUT OF LIFE CHANGING PROGRAMMES FOR YOUTHS

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards up scaling the implementation of life-changing programmes and initiatives for the youth in the overall interest of the country. 

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare, stated this today at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Abuja,  when he declared open a 3-day Capacity Building Workshop organized by his Ministry for Youth, Non-Governmental Organizations and Voluntary Youth Serving Organizations (NGOs/VYOs) for the effective implementation of the National Youth Policy.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Dare assured  that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is a youth focused and friendly government, “therefore efforts are being put in place to create a synergy between institutions of Government and stakeholders in the youth sector so that issues relating to the youth are mainstreamed into activities of Government and give the youth a sense of belonging, become productive and contributing partners to the overall development of the country”. 

He explained that due to the proliferation of NGOs/VYOs in the country, it has become necessary for the ministry to streamline, set objectives in coordinating and assessing the level of implementation of the National Youth Policy, as well as ascertaining the status of youth-serving organizations that are actively implementing various programmes of the Policy.

The Minister stated further that, the aim of the workshop is to reverse this trend and engage a genuine dialogue as well as create a synergy with the ministry for effective implementation of the National Youth Policy.

 Dare added that “the workshop will focus at improving your capacity, bringing you together for proper revalidation, coordination and synergy as well as exposing you to the guidelines and criteria required for proper registration and recognition by the ministry in line with the provision of the National Youth Policy and other instruments on youth development which recognize the very important role you, the NGOs /VYOs have to play as partners in the implementations of Youth Development Policies.”

The Minister, while lunching and unveiling of the portal on guidelines for the registration and accreditation of the youth focused Non-Governmental Organizations, expressed confidence that the workshop will engender strategies for a well-coordinated and enhanced roadmap for the National Youth Policy (2019-2023) implementation, that would meet the yearning of youth in the country. 

Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar stated that in line with the mandate of the Ministry, the workshop has marked a paradigm shift in Youth NGOs/VYOs collaboration with the Ministry.

 With this, he said, activities of the relevant Youth Organizations are now to be properly coordinated.

Represent by the Director, Network and Social Mobilization (NSM) of the Ministry, Hajiya Amina Dauren, the Permanent Secretary enjoined participants at the workshop to remain resolute and be determined to move youth work forward, stressing that the best way to build a virile nation is to build a strong, energetic and committed youth, who would in turn be patriotic to contribute their quota to nation building.