NANS Seeks Youth Inclusion In North Central Commission’s Development Plan

National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C, has applauded the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) and other stakeholders for unveiling a 20-year development plan to address the region’s long-term development needs.

NANS, however, advised the commission to include the youths in the plan because of their huge population.

The group said the stakeholders’ engagement was important in providing a clear direction for the development of the region and ensuring that the aspirations and concerns of its people were reflected in the plan.

The coordinator of NANS Zone C, Comrade Abiola Azeez Babatunde, who spoke on behalf of the students across the zone, described the initiative as timely and forward-looking.

In a press release late yesterday, Babarunde said young people and students should have a significant role in discussions concerning the future of the region, given their population, skills and potential contributions to economic and social development.

Babatunde said the 20-year development plan should give priority to education, skills acquisition, employment, entrepreneurship, technology and youth participation. “Students and young people are not only beneficiaries of development; we are also partners in building the future we desire,” he said.

Any 20-year development plan for the North Central must therefore give serious attention to education, skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, technology and youth participation,” he said.

He assured the Commission of NANS’ readiness to collaborate with it and other stakeholders to promote initiatives that would expand opportunities for students and young people across the region.

NANS also called for sustained collaboration among the Commission, governments, educational institutions, organised youth groups, traditional institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the development plan.

Also at the engagement was the Head of Emergency and Disaster Management, NANS, Comrade Anzaku Shedrack CNS, who represented the NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde GCNS.

Shedrack commended the Commission for the initiative and urged it to sustain stakeholders’ engagements on a quarterly basis. He expressed NANS’ support for the 20-year roadmap, assuring the Commission that the students’ body would continue to support its development initiatives.

The association further urged the Commission to maintain regular consultations with students, noting that the student population constituted an important constituency whose experiences and ideas should be reflected in the region’s long-term development agenda.

NANS reaffirmed its commitment to constructive advocacy and partnership, expressing optimism that the development plan would promote greater opportunities, stronger institutions and inclusive growth across the North Central.