The minister of
youth development, Alhaji Bolaji Abdulahi, recently met with about 50 youth leaders in Lagos. It was an
interactive session, which allowed him share the Federal
Government's plan to engage Nigerian youth in decision making process.
The youth leaders who were present had the
unique opportunity to share innovative ideas on how the ministry can better
engage young Nigerians and close the yawning gap between the ministry and youth
at the bottom of the pyramid.
It was inspiring
and a bit reassuring to hear the youth minister, Alhaji Abdulahi and his
team, express genuine interest and commitment to make a difference in this new
administration. He said he is ready to learn and listen. In his words “…the
ministry is your ministry. I cannot understand issues of young people other
than young people.”
The founder of
LEAP Africa, Mrs Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, in her opening remark
pointed out that the way forward for Nigerians to tackle the many issues
affecting the country is to take personal responsibility.
Among
the many things she said was the need for youth and youth organizations to
collaborate more. If we continue to work as solos, we can’t move forward. She
also encouraged youth leaders to be authentic leaders. This means being
consistent in walking the talk, reflecting the values we advocate. “You have to
have integrity for others to be inspired,” said Mrs. Nwuneli.
Fela
Durotoye, in his closing remark summed it up as “we must drive the future of
Nigeria.”
So,
the take away?
· The Ministry of Youth
Development, under the leadership of Alhaji Abdulahi, is ready to engage the
Nigerian youth. The passion we use for complaining should be channeled towards
innovating solutions for the many problems the Nigerian youth is saddled with-
Unemployment, Health challenges, Violence, Poor Education system etc.
· We must be ready to hold
the leaders accountable, all through the process
· Collaboration,
collaboration, collaboration! To move things forward, youth, NGOs and other
stakeholders working to tackle issues affecting the youth should build synergy
and work together instead of competing against one another.
· Join others to drive the
change you want to see in Nigeria. Don’t give up and don't stop developing yourself/skills.
Twitter Meet-up with Youth Minister
In September, the
Youth Minister held a Twitter Town-Hall meeting with Nigerian youth, giving
young people an opportunity to ask questions, raise issues and share ideas.
As a commitment
to carry on the culture, this month's edition will take place on October 4th
by 2pm. The focus of the discussion is NYSC reform. It is hoped that it will be
a solution-focused discussion. The hashtag to follow the discussion is #NGMYD.
To participate during the meeting, follow @BolajiAbdullahi and tweet him your
questions or ideas.
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