As stakeholders harp on utilizing young people’s strength, expertise in galvanizing food production

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

As the world commemorates 2021 International Youth Day, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, Friday, expressed worry over the underdevelopment of youths by government in the agricultural sector following the high rate of unemployment and crime despite the huge proportion they constitute in the total population of Nigeria.

Expressing this concern was the Country Director, AAN, Ene Obi, in a speech at the Commemoration of the IYD with theme ‘Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation For Human And Planetary Health’ in Abuja.

According to Obi, the theme often IYD highlights most of the challenges humanity currently faces, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and others, which require concerted global action, hence participation of young people in the climate discussion has already recognized as an important role of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, for some time.

She said: “This is because climate change negatively affects livelihood, health, and other socioeconomic aspects of young people on the life in their own context and shaping their future.

“This year’s commemoration is most significant as governments around the world take urgent steps to save lives, protect livelihoods from COVID-19 pandemic, and plan to reposition the global community to its normal living.

READ ALSO: Agriculture: Govts urged to initiate policies to involve youths

“Nigeria is estimated to have one of the highest percentages of youth population in any country. With a population currently put at about 186 million people, youth aged between 18 and 35 constitute more than 31 per cent of the total population.

“This youth bulge is expected to further increase in recent years with young people under 14 accounting for about 40 per cent of the Nigerian population. The country is the most populous country in Africa and also plays a crucial role in the continent.

“COVID-19 has no doubt proven to be a serious challenge, but it has also presented an opportunity for several young people in Nigeria to develop innovations, adopt a creative mechanism that has helped place their communities, and improving processes.

“In a recent released report by the Common Secretariat on Tuesday August 10, 2021, Nigeria is ranked 161st on the 2020 Global Youth Development Index which measures the status of young people in 181 countries around the world. While other countries recorded slight improvements in scores, Nigeria dropped to 161 as against 141 score in 2016.

 “ActionAid is worried that if the level of unemployed youth, out of school and work remains unchanged, national development will not be achieved. Young people are indispensable in achieving a future that is sustainable and resilient.

“In commemoration of International Youth Day 2021, ActionAid Nigeria calls on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through its agencies to promote active youth involvement in agriculture for national food security, social development, and job security.”

Meanwhile, other stakeholders harped on the necessity and urgency for government to collaborate with youth organizations in harnessing the creative and innovative potential of young people across the country to galvanize food production, distribution, availability, affordability, accessibility and profitability.

However, President of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Solomon Adodo, challenged youth not to remain in the date of dejection but rise and see how to key into existing policies, funds and programmes of government and that of the private sector to change their narrative.

“What we want to do this year looking at the theme is to see how we can spread that spirit of innovativeness, the ‘I can do spirit’, and we need to wake up as Nigerian youths.

“While people talk about the challenges and other we should not remain in the woes. We need to have a new message”, Adodo stated.

Vanguard News Nigeria