By Nnasom David

The Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Azeezat Yishawu has encouraged Nigerian youth to choose dialogue over the proposed nationwide protest following the economic challenges in the country.

Furthermore, the Speaker urged young people to unite under established platforms to address their concerns while holding all the duty bearers accountable.

Yishawu said: “Government initiatives like the recently launched Students Loan and the relaunched National Youth Investment Funds, as well as the significant increase in the National Minimum Wage, as evidence of efforts to improve young people’s livelihoods.

The speaker emphasized the challenges faced by the Nigerian youths, especially as a result of certain reforms such as subsidy removal and exchange rate fluctuations.

Yishawu emphasized that dialogue may be more effective than the planned protests, which may not produce positive results.

“The recent landmark achievement in local government financial autonomy and the substantial increase in state and local allocations are all efforts put in place to mitigate the impact. As a result, young people should also hold their leaders, including those in state and local government, accountable.

“In March, the Federal government approved the 30% youth Quota in all government appointments. This Executive order has been reflected throughout government appointments, in boards, agencies and parastatals. A technical Committee was also constituted to monitor the implementation of the policy.

Furthermore, the Speaker highlighted various palliative measures initiated by the government, such as household palliatives, support to civil servants, and the Presidential CNG Initiative, to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal.

“As a way forward, the Speaker urged the Federal Government to utilize established youth organizations to conduct Youth Stakeholders Engagement Meetings across the 36 States and FCT.

“The purpose of these meetings would be to interact with young people directly, generate reports, and develop actionable solutions promptly”, Yishawu said.