FCTA to launch youth development policy

The mandate secretary for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Youth Development Secretariat, Abdullahi Ango, has said that the secretariat will soon come up with the first-ever FCT Youth Development Policy Document.

Ango while explaining the rationale for a policy that will aggregate issues facing youth across the FCT, said the purpose was to set guidelines for the delivery of programmes and projects related to youth development.

In a statement signed by the acting Chief Information Officer to the mandate secretary, Darlington Omotosho, the mandate secretary who was represented at the Review meeting by Ambassador Asabe Umar, Director Youth Development Department, disclosed that some states have already taken the lead with Lagos, Osun and many more thinking in that direction.

“The United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth, 2000 and beyond, encourages governments to be more responsive to the aspirations of youth for a better world, as well as to respond to the demands of youth to be part of the solution, rather than be considered as the problem.

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“Taking the initiative to draft the FCT youth development policy is a practical demonstration that youth are a priority of the FG and the FCT Administration.

“It is also a declaration for youth development, a vision statement, a framework for political action, and a blueprint of the status, rights, responsibilities and roles of youth, the Secretary noted.

He added” “An articulated youth policy can empower, enable and encourage youth development, and maximise youth participation and inclusion in national development.

“Furthermore, it also provides realistic guidelines and framework for government, private sector and other stakeholders to work together to help youth, and ensure stronger coordination among youth-centred organisations for enhanced service delivery,” he said.

Also speaking during the meeting, the Programmes Manager of Youth Hub Africa, Mr Olusegun Medupin, explained that the youth policy was borne out of the need to ensure inclusive youth development in the FCT.