Adoption of UN’s Youth Compact on COVID-19 will reduce spread – Minister

Okwe Obi, Abuja

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has expressed optimism that the domestication of the United Nation’s Global Compact for Youth in Humanitarian Action and COVID-19 will contain the spread of the virus.

Aliyu, speaking while unveiling the Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19 (NYCC-19) in Abuja, said government would support the initiative since it involves young people who are expected to champion the cause.

Represented by her Special Adviser on Social Development, Ayoade Simisola, the minister called on youths to actively participate to ensure that information aimed at mitigating further spread of the virus trickles down to the grassroots.

Being the first African country to adopt this method in engaging young people on mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is highly commendable,’ she said.

‘It is also instructive to note that the compact for young people is a clarion call to the international organisation to realise the role of young people.’

Meanwhile, the representative of the Minister of State, Education, Muna Onuzo, lamented that the pandemic has adversely affected the educational sector.

‘Education has been one of the hardest-hit sectors as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given this, the Federal Ministry of Education has developed the National Education Sector COVID-19 Response Strategy to help our education system adapt to the changing environment as we see it today.’

But, Chairman, National Steering Committee on (NYCC-19), Gambo Suleiman Haruna, said with the planned engagement of over 10 million youths who will carry out humanitarian activities, the pandemic would be a thing of the past.

Haruna said the Compact will also serve as a dynamic advocacy and implementation tool for stakeholders to advance response efforts to the public and foster new commitments and partnership.

He added that “it will provide report/testimony to the transformation that is taking place in various communities across the country, which is imperative for creating opportunities for meaningful engagement of young people in the fight and for youth-driven programming during and beyond the pandemic.’