The Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM)-funded Work in Progress (WiP) Project, has called for the full implementation of the 2019- 2023 Nigerian National Youth Policy.
The project being currently implemented by Chioma Chuka Consulting Services Ltd (CCCSL), said that this is to ensure the full benefits of the policy.
Speaking during a virtual press briefing to formally introduce the #BeingYoungInNaija campaign, WIP!, the Project Lead, Princewill Ogbodo, said the project aims to create employment opportunities, a safe and suitable environment, and positive expectations about the future for young Nigerians.
According to him, the #BeingYounginNaija project was launched to amplify the voices of young Nigerians, highlighting their experiences, challenges and the opportunities available to them.
“The project also underscores the need to engage government stakeholders on youth-oriented policies via collaborations with youth-led bodies, key government agencies and policymakers to achieve global action,” he said.
On her part, Tope Salami, a Technical Program Assistant with CCCSL, noted that the purpose of the media engagement was to sensitize the media and other stakeholders about the challenges young people in Nigeria face and also present to the public a Petition for ‘Active Implementation of the National Youth Policy.’
She said that a policy brief document titled ‘Reimagining Being Young in Nigeria’ would be made available to the public by the end of November.
The policy brief examines the state of young people in Nigeria highlighting challenges they face including socio-economic issues such as sexual & gender-based violence, economic participation & entrepreneurship, democracy and governance, security and waning resilience and education.
Salami added that a National Youth Policy is a critical tool for youth development because it details the vision of any government for its youth and its strategies to achieve them.
The policy represents a declaration and commitment to the priorities, directions and practical supports for the development of young people in Nigeria. The document outlines concrete and bold steps to put the development and participation of youth at the center of national development efforts.
The National Youth Policy broadly targets all young people in Nigeria between the ages of 15 and 29 years, while recognizing that youth are not a homogeneous group in terms of needs and circumstances.
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