Youth Groups Want Kaduna Demographic Dividends Road Map Implemented

A coalition of youth groups, under the auspices of the Youth Advocacy Campaign on Accelerating Implementation of the Kaduna State Demographic Dividends Roadmap, has called for a more substantial government commitment and multi-sectoral collaboration to expedite the implementation of the road map, which aims to harness the state’s population for sustainable growth.

The advocacy campaign, supported by the Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation and the Lafiya Programme, made the call yesterday during an advocacy visit to the Kaduna State Ministry of Youth Development.

In a communiqué signed by representatives of the coalition, including Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini (OGP TWG), Christopher Atsen (YALI Kaduna), Hassan John (YAN Kaduna), Aaron Samiala Ayuba (KASU Students with Disability), Benjamin Sheyin (OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub), Shim Kajang (Civic Impact Foundation), and Usman Idris Abdullahi (NYCN Kaduna), the group emphasised the need for deliberate government action and partnership with youth-led organisations to accelerate implementation of the roadmap.

During the engagement, the advocacy team also presented a letter of nomination appointing the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Development as the Kaduna State Demographic Dividends Champion — in recognition of her ministry’s role in advancing youth empowerment and population development.

The communiqué highlighted key advocacy points, including the need for the Ministry to serve as the Secretariat for the coordination mechanism of the roadmap, to develop an implementation plan and monitoring and evaluation framework, and to raise public awareness about the demographic dividends agenda with support from development partners.

It also called for sustained collaboration between the government, development partners, and the media to ensure the roadmap delivers tangible results in areas such as education, health, and employment for young people across the state.

In response, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Youth, Barr. Gloria Ibrahim accepted all the advocacy requests and pledged to champion the implementation of the roadmap, describing it as a critical step towards harnessing the potential of Kaduna’s youthful population for socio-economic growth.

She also commended the group for its proactive advocacy. She reaffirmed the Kaduna State Government’s commitment to youth inclusion and empowerment as part of Governor Uba Sani’s administration’s vision for inclusive growth.

“The government recognises that young people are central to Kaduna’s future. We are committed to supporting initiatives that will help unlock their potential and contribute to the State’s development”.