The European Union (EU) says it is building partnerships between young Africans and their European counterparts because young people will remain critical in addressing current global challenges, including the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a statement on the National Youth Conference organised by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports in Abuja, the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said youths were not only the future but also constitute the largest generation of young people in history.
She said EU delegations across Africa were mandated to establish a Youth Sounding Board to ensure that youths were mainstreamed into their decision-making processes to reflect diversity and inclusivity.
The EU Youth Sounding Board in Nigeria was launched in Abuja in September to help Nigerian youths to share their voices and participate in shaping policies and programmes.
In her presentation, Precious Uchechi Eze, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and member of the recently inaugurated European Union Youth Sounding Board (YSB) in Nigeria, said the NYSC was proposing to set up a ‘Trust Fund for Corps Members’, which will serve as a support system for the corps members facing various challenges during their service period.
