Theophilus Ekpor, an expert and co-chair of the Nigeria Council on Youth, Peace and Security (NCYPS), says empirical evidence suggests that young people are the perpetrators of 95% of violence in the country.
He said this in Yola on Tuesday at a Workshop for the Implementation of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in collaboration with NCYPS.
Ekpor said Nigeria must engage its youth to achieve lasting peace.
“Children and youth are involved in violence and war. Empirical evidence suggests that young people are the perpetrators of 90% to 95% of the violence in Nigeria”, he said.
Ekpo called on stakeholders to ensure participation of young people in entrepreneurial and sporting activities to enable them express their ideas.
In his remarks, Sunday Dare, Miinister of Youth and Sports Development, said the federal government had been working with NCYPS and other stakeholders to localise the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security.
He said the population of young people is critical to achieving peace in the country.
“I am glad to inform you that the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and the Nigerian Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security are anchored on the five pillars of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 2250. The UNSCR 2250 was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2015”, he said.
Aloysius Babadoka, Adamawa State commissioner of Youths and Sports, who was represented by the Director Sports, Michael Ngula said the state had created an enabling environment for youth development.
He added that the skills acquisition centres in the state had recently been reopened to train youths on various trades.
