Borno youths demand commission set up to address restiveness, unemployment
By Njadvara MUSA, Maiduguri
The Borno State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has solicited the setup of a Commission to address restiveness and unemployment among youths.
According to the Council, the youths are both perpetrators and victims of insecurity in the country, despite their involvement in community peace-building processes.
The Council’s State Chairman, Tanimu Tahir, disclosed this, yesterday (Saturday), in Maiduguri to mark United Nations (UN) International Youths Day (IYD).
“We’re at a legislative state to take ownership of the commission’s proposals,” he said, stating that; there is a sustainable standardized mechanism that can address restiveness and unemployment among the youths.
He noted that there is no clear-cut policy that empowers the youths in Borno state, unlike in Lagos and two other states in the country.
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He said the demands of youths in the state, are for a Youths Development Commission (YODC).
According to him, the Commission will frontally address issues that are affecting over 1.5 million youths in the state.
On the Commission’s mandate, he said: “It could make the Commission flexible to the State government while relating with other development partners to strategically address young people’s problems.”
Besides relating with development partners, he said that the youths could harness the positive components of peace-building to overcome security challenges and food insecurity.
“We’re discussing the prospects of youths being a critical voice in policy formulation and directions at the federal and state levels,” he said, stating that as youths’ voices could redirect the focus of policymakers.
He said that youths are the most important components of national development, as they are “catalysts and drivers” of human capital development.
