By Prince Okafor

The Federal Government has been urged to focus on the nation’s educational system, not just as an institution but ensure it create an enabling learning environment for proper development.

This is coming even as the Society for Adolescent and Young People’s Health in Nigeria (SAYPHIN) said it is creating a structures that would foster adolescents and youth’s healthcare system in the country.

The group disclosed this during the commemoration of the International youths day which is celebrated globally on the 12th of August.

Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Science, Ondo state and SAYPHIN National President, Adesegun Fatusi noted that the commemoration of this day create an urgent call on the government to focus on education, not limited to an institution but ensuring everyone has an enabling environment to learn.

He said: “SAYPHIN is marking this day to signify our believe and what we need to do as a country to improve the life of young people.

“Our agenda is geared towards optimising young people to fulfill their potential to be able to be able to keep them in the nearest future and also create an environment that will support them to be the best they can.

“They should not look down on their self. It is time to be productive and bring out their God given talent and knowledge to change the world. The world can not change on its own, young people have a great part to play in this regards.

In her keynote address, Executive Director of Action Health Incorporated Adenike Esiet noted that young people bring much changes to the table and are blessed with optimism.

She said the commemoration is an attempt to draw attention to issues that affect youths development and opportunities to prosper. Specifically, this year’s theme is around ‘intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages’ presents a great opportunity for actors in this field and young people to recognise the importance of building solidarity, understanding and willingness to help one another for the good of all.

“Young people have the advantage of fresh and creative ideas, energy and ability to work for success and its important that adults acknowledge this. In the very same way the young people need to recognise the resources that older people bring to the table,” Esiet said.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, said that young people face challenges that can compromise their health and development potentials if not properly addressed.

According to him, one of the most important commitments a country can make for its economic, social and political progress is to address their health and development needs, noting that some factors that impact development of adolescents include social media, urbanisation, unhealthy diets, armed conflicts, climate change and migration.

“Past experiences revealed that young people would rather patronise quacks instead of the hospitals as quacks are perceived as ‘confidential though not safe’, while the hospitals are ‘safe but not confidential’. It became important to create safe and confidential spaces for these young people, hence the establishment of Hello Lagos Youth Friendly Centres, designed to provide quality safe confidential youth friendly health services.”