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From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
As a part of the activities commemorating this year’s international youth day, a cross-section of Kaduna youths on Monday embarked on a road walk to sensitise residents and as well made some demands from their Governor, Nasir El-Rufai ahead of the next year’s elections in Kaduna state.
The road was was in line with the We-You project being implemented by Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women in collaboration with the Centre for Communication and Social Impact with support from Action Aid and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
A political mentee from Igabi local government area of the State, Jemila Muhammad believes that any opportunity made available by the government should be deliberate in targeting youth and Women e g, loans, appointments, admissions, scholarships, etc.
She also demanded non-interference of the executive in the electoral process, revamping the educational curriculum to be in tandem with the current realities and the needs of
the labour market.
“We demand that the state government look into the issues raised by ASUU as it affects education in Kaduna State and considers technology-based investments which will target the youth.
“Again, we want our state government to prioritise SMEs by building industrial estates for small businesses/industries and expand skills acquisition programmes to target different categories of youth.
“In addition to these, we want our state government to put in place a unified transport regulatory body and improve on the provision of intercity transportation – putting the people with disability in mind”, she said
Another mentee from Chikun, Daniel Bagail asked the Kaduna state government to never be in the entertainment industry of the state by supporting interested youth to increase efforts in tackling insecurity.
According to him, “as a follow-up to the Not-too-young to run Act (2018), the government should put into a place system that nurtures the talents of the youth and ensures their robust development as they grow into leadership roles in society.
“Candidates who win elections should consider at least 30% of youth for appointive positions in
their cabinet does not entice youth with drugs to serve as political thugs
Earlier, the Coordinator of the We -You project in Kaduna, Hannatu Hauwan briefed newsmen that one of the key objectives of the project was to mobilize a critical mass of young people (including male & female) and women (through women-led groups) leading disruptive campaigns towards translating citizens demands into policy actions in Kaduna and Kano States.
According to her, “every August 12, the International Youth Day is commemorated to bring youth issues to the fore at international discussions.
“The International Youth Day 2022 themed ‘Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages’ is aptly timely as Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general elections.
“The outcome of the primary elections held a few months back further emphasized the need for bridging the intergenerational gap within the political space, especially where women and youth are concerned”, she explained.
