Below is the fallout of youth roundtable from Nigeria. Read on and make your comment, contribution and suggestions. An initiative by Youngstars Foundation International with support from Group 100. Big up YFI!
I write with great pleasure to present a summary report and communiqué from the Nigerian Youth Roundtable on 2007 Elections and Political Parties Manifestos organized by Youngstars at the Royalton Hotel Conference Hall, Garki, Abuja, between Wednesday 4th – Thursday 5th, April, 2007.
The Roundtable was scheduled for 30 youths leaders but over 40 youth leaders from about 10 states where in attendance. For the 2 days, the youths examined available party manifestoes to see how the parties have mainstreamed youth issues in their program vis-à-vis what young people peoples should expect from them when they assume government. It also provided an open forum for young people from different zones to unite and articulate what they considered as major issues/challenges to national youth development.
The 2 days meeting also gave birth to questions of how young people can become more involved in budget tracking and monitoring; and how young people can also become more involved in sectoral performance review at the end of each year; to see how the different government ministries and agencies perform, there is already a thinking of how to review the administration when the new government is established later in the year. For us in Youngstars, bearing some of these outcomes, we consider the Youth Roundtable a huge success and the beginning of a very strategic youth participation in national development, and we promise to keep your office posted. Meanwhile, please find attached a copy of the Nigeria Youth Roundtable Communique for your perusal.
OBSERVATIONS:
- Parties tried to highlight some basic national issues but did not exhibit dept of thought and initiative in articulating how such major national issues shall be strategically addressed. For instance, no manifesto articulated Nigeria current power situation and how it hopes to tackle it in a time-bound way. Invariable, Nigeria may remain a “Generator Driven Economy” for many more years to come.
- Most parties recognized the importance of youths in nation building and successor generation plan. However, parties did not articulate any strategic youth agenda or plan for achieving youth development in Nigeria when they assume government, nor did they articulate how they intend to include young people in decision and policy making processes.
- Most parties reiterated the importance education plays in nation building and pledged improvement in the education sector, including restructuring the NYSC. However, manifestos did not articulate clear vision and objectives for this sector, i.e, curriculum review, clear plans for technical/vocational education among others, how to double the number of admission opportunities into universities annually, plans for students who do not secure admission etc.
- Most party manifestos also agreed that job creation and poverty reduction are major challenges facing the Nigeria nation, especially young people. Again parties made promises to create job and reduce poverty without showing how the jobs shall be created, which sectors shall create the jobs, or how many jobs shall be created annually.
- Majority of the party Manifestos did not articulate how they intend to pursue the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and NEEDS especially in relation to young people’s issues and their involvement in the process.
- Majority of the parities did not commit to sustain the fight against corruption. Most of the parties did not show interest in the idea of character development, values, ethics and leadership as a core area of focus for nation building.
In general, participants are of the view that political parties deliberately produced manifestos that are specific, measurable and time bond, so that when they don’t perform up to expectation when in government, citizens cannot use their manifestos against them.
In view of the above, the participants made far reaching recommendations which also includes what youths feel are key issues the next government needs to give priority in addressing youth development in Nigeria; thus, the recommendations are as follows:
1. POWER GENERATION: That the next government must move Nigeria from being a “Generator Driven Economy” to a “Non-Generator Driven Economy”; by prioritizing solving the electricity power problem of the nation. To do this, a very comprehensive and achievable plan of action needs to be articulated and implemented with highest ethical and professional standard possible.
- ACCELERATING YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE: To accelerate youth development and to better harness the dynamic potentials of young people for nation building involves more than education and football (sports), youths recommend that: After Handover on May 29th, 2007, a National Youth Forum be convened with the view of harnessing the inputs of young people in formulating a broad based and youth owned national youth agenda 2008 – 2011.
That the newly created Federal Ministry of Youth Development must be maintained by the new government and be adequately funded to carry out strategic youth development programs for Nigerian youths.
If necessary, there should be a national legislation mandating all the 36 states including the FCT to create a separate ministry of Youth Development not attached to sports or women, to operate solely for the purpose of youth programs at the state levels.
The Minister for the Federal Ministry of Youth Development should be below the ages of 35years, and the position should be through application. Adverts should be placed on national newspapers and youth based online networks for suitably qualified youths who must have been involved in youth work for a minimum of 5 years to apply. The recruitment / selection board should comprise of representatives from the federal youth ministry, development partners, private sectors, young people and respected leaders in society.
The National Youth Policy Document Review which is overdue should be reviewed with broad based participation of young people at all levels of the review. Moreso, the document should be widely circulated in every school, youth organization / associations, and libraries among others.
That all umbrella bodies of youth organizations like National Youth Council of Nigeria, National Association of Nigeria Students, Man O’ War, should be restructured and made more democratic, accountable and representational of their youth constituencies.
That a legislation be made to back the creation of a national youth parliament as a platform that enables young people to make inputs and participate in national development issues from the grassroots, vis-à-vis complimenting the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
That Legislation be made to back the establishment of a National Youth Fund, which shall be managed by adults, young people and including respectable persons from the private sector. The Fund is to facilitate some of the following:
(a) Micro-credit facilities for young entrepreneurs.
(b) Grants to proposal for projects from youth organizations
(c) Participation of Nigeria youths in local and foreign youth related events.
(d) Special Projects like Youth Festival, Summer Camps, capacity building training among others
That the Niger Delta issues be given priority and young people should be involved in the process of managing and resolving the Niger Delta Crisis.
That a Review of the 1999 Constitution, especially in the area of who can contest for elective post. Youths demand that the qualification for elective posts should be such that all persons who can vote automatically qualify to be voted for.
3. EDUCATION: Youths recommend the implementation of a Free and Compulsory Education for every child within school age up to Secondary Education. This needs to be backed with legislation to make it illegal for children of school age to be denied education.
The recent scrapping of Polytechnic Education should be reversed considering the role polytechnics can play in technology development if well funded and structured.
Youths also recommend as a matter of national urgency, a review of our current educational curriculum to be more interactive/inventive; so that our institutions can graduate more of job creators, technical persons and inventors to move the country forward.
Teachers welfare, training and provision of adequate infrastructure should be improved on as a matter of urgency
4. Job Creation: youths commends the efforts of the current administration in job creation and recommends that the next government must deliberately pursue industrialization and local content as a way of creating more jobs.
Moreso, the process of diversifying the economy has had tremendous benefits and much more jobs could be created if areas like agriculture, tourism, solid minerals among others are fully supported to grow.
The Small and Medium Scale Enterprise and NAPEP among others should have be further encouraged to focus more on programs and offers that shall identify, empower and grow many more young entrepreneurs into big time entrepreneurs, industrialists and large employers of labour.
- Information Communication Technology: bearing in mind that we are in an information technology driven age, youths recommend that Youth ICT Villages or Academies be set up in every state of Nigeria to harness the potentials of young people, to also financially empower them financially and earn the nation foreign exchange in the nearest future.
Annual Young ICT Competitions and Exhibitions should be organized to further boost the participation of young in the sector growth in Nigeria.
- FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION /CAMPAIGN ON CHARACTER AND ETHICS: That the fight against corruption must be sustained and that all agencies involved in the fight against corruption like ICPC, EFCC and all other related agencies should be sustained and further strengthened to be autonomous to perform effectively.
That a national campaign on character, values, ethics and leadership should be initiated and agencies such as the National Orientation Agency be further strengthened and funded to be the at the forefront of this campaign for ethics and moral values in all aspect of our national live.
IN CONCLUSION
INEC and the 2007 Elections: There is no doubt that this is a very important period in the history of our nation hence our appeal for all and sundry to get involved to make this nation the true giant of Africa that she really is. As we count down to the elections proper we implore INEC to justify the confidence reposed in them by Nigerian youths by conducting a free and fair elections come April, 2007.
We also like to appeal to political parties and candidates to demonstrate political sportsmanship as election is not a do or die affair.
And to the youths, we must shun political thuggery and election violence. Our power is in our Votes……lets all step out and vote wisely and shun every form of corruption and violence and let Nigeria be great!
We believe in Nigeria and in democratic governance.
Long live the federal republic of Nigeria!
Long live responsible Nigerian youths!
Long live African union!
