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By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja.

To mark the 2022 Nigerian Youth Day, Nigerian Youth Ambassador to the United States, H.E, Amb. Raymond Eboh, on Friday, called on Boko Haram members, kidnappers, armed robbers, gunmen, and their sponsors to lay down their weapons and desist from the acts of crime.

While addressing Journalists in Abuja, he said the theme of this year’s Youth Day is, “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a world for all Ages”, this can’t be achieved if there is no peace.

He said that for Nigerians to experience peace, there is a need for Nigerians to love one another as a nation, adding that without love, the much desired Nigerians can not be achieved.

According to him, Nigeria can be one of the peaceful countries to stay if we the Nigerian youth take our stand to make it peaceful and well secured.

“We can make this happen. And that’s why we are pleading with the perpetrators to please stop the act so that we can synergize and birth a new Nigeria where we can sleep with our eyes closed. A Nigeria where we can travel to any part of it at any time again without fears of any kind of attack”, he added.

He further said that the objective of International Youth Day 2022 is to amplify the message that action is needed across all generations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, leaving no one behind.

He also said that the celebration would raise necessary awareness on certain barriers to intergenerational solidarity, notably ageism, which impacts young and old persons while having detrimental effects on society as a whole.

He maintained that Youths can be a positive force for development when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive.

According to him, today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 percent of the global population. By 2030—the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda—the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7 percent, to nearly 1.3 billion.

“International days such as this are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.

“So, we urge the government to come to the aid of the youth in all spheres to make the nation a great one”, he advised.