The mandate secretary for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Youth Development Secretariat, Comrade Abdullahi Ango has said that the secretariat is getting set to come up with the first-ever FCT Youth Development Policy Document, in a bid to hit the ground running on a very sound footing.
Ango while explaining the rationale for a policy that will aggregate issues facing youth across the FCT, and shall serve as a framework for addressing them holistically, at a Review, Validation and Adoption meeting with all stakeholders yesterday, said the purpose of this policy is 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, already some states have taken the lead in 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.
“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.
“An articulated youth policy can empower, enable and encourage youth development, and maximize 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 organizations for enhanced service delivery,” he said.
He further said that with the creation of the FCT Youth Development Secretariat by President Bola Tinubu, with the effort of the progressive Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, they could see that efforts at empowering youth have started yielding fruits in the FCT.
Also speaking during the meeting, Programs Manager, of Youth Hub Africa, Mr. Olusegun Medupin, explained that the youth policy is borne out of the need to ensure inclusive youth development in the FCT.
“In several but robust engagements with young people and research carried out, recommendations were given for the drafting of a youth policy that will aggregate all development agendas, interventions, frameworks, activities and intentions targeting young people across FCT.
“It will take its life from the national youth policy, the renewed hope agenda of this administration, AU youth chatter, UN youth strategy, and the SDGs among others. With this policy, all agencies, organisations and individuals working with or on youths will now have a framework they are contributing to,” he said.
He listed the deliverables of the policy to include, emphasising who a youth is in the FCT and in line with the national youth policy, a categorical statement of objectives for youth development, key strategies and actions that can be measured and Institutional framework to include key responsibilities of various stakeholders.
Medupin stated that the brains behind the policy are the young people in the FCT and the process of development is led by the Youth Development Secretariat and YouthHubAfrica, provided technical expertise, with support from Action Aid Nigeria.
He maintained that the FCTA will lead the implementation of this policy, but all development partners with offices or presence in the FCT will contribute to the implementation.
“By the time we are measuring the implementing mid-term, at least, youth development in FCT must have been achieved considerably. The Policy will be launched once the FCT Minister approves,” he said.
