The Bayero University Kano Centre for Gender Studies has trained over 120 youths across the state on leadership skills and tackling drug abuse.
The roundtable discussion was organised on Monday and Tuesday by the centre in collaboration with the German Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung with the intention of addressing the major issues affecting youths as leaders of tomorrow.
The CGS Director, Professor Hasssana Sani Darma said the discussion was organised for the youths to discuss issues that affect them especially in the area of building their capacity to be responsible leaders of tomorrow.
Also speaking, a university don with the university’s Sociology department, Dr Maikano Madaki has lamented that Nigeria’s political system does not recognise youths’ participation despite having the capacity and potentials to contribute.
He said, “The environment is no longer favourable to our youths because it has been dominated by those that are seen as the most powerful and wealthy individuals who always try to do rotate and recycle themselves within the political positions.
“This has created a very serious vacuum for our youths who have the potentials and skills to offer and have been deterred from contributing to the system.
“Our democratic system is not favourable to many, including the youths and the poor. It is so expensive that the talent of our youths who don’t have the financial capacity could not be harnessed,” Dr Madaki lamented.
He explained that the discussion is timely in changing the youth’s mindset and is targeting them in order to develop their leadership potential and skills and help them in harnessing them.
The university don argued that the system has relegated the youths to favour only the old and the rich, stressing that until the system is completely overhauled, the country will always be the same.
Similarly, the Deputy Director, Research of the centre, Dr Aminu Mohammed Dukku lamented continuous surge in number of youths who engage in drug and other illicit contents abuse in the country.
He argued that with the way drug production and markets are expanding in Nigeria like never before, much still needs to be done to tackle the problem.
“Drug-related crimes are increasing almost on daily basis, especially among youths who are supposed to be leaders of tomorrow. This has direct implication on the socio-economic, political, economic and even the psychological well-being of the country and its development potentials,” he added.
Daily Trust reports that participants of the discussion, numbering about 120 were drawn from institutions of higher learning, civil society organizations and youths groups across Kano state.
