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From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Professor Adesegun Fatusi, Vice-Chancellor of Ondo State’s University of Medical Sciences, has urged Nigerian youths to play active roles in the country’s development through transformative initiatives.
He emphasised that the nation’s future depends on its youth, highlighting their crucial responsibilities in shaping the country’s progress.
Speaking at the launch of the Nigeria National Youth Index (NNYI) in Port Harcourt, organised by the Strengthening Programming for Adolescents and Youths through Resource and Knowledge Generation and Link to Evidence (SPARKLE), Prof. Fatusi said, “Nigerian young people are not just beneficiaries of development, they are active participants in shaping the future. It is, therefore, imperative that we equip them with the necessary tools, opportunities, and support systems to thrive in an increasingly complex world.”
In a statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Isaac Oluyi, Prof. Fatusi reiterated the importance of empowering young people, stressing that the NNYI insights will help stakeholders identify gaps and leverage strengths to ensure inclusive national growth. He added, “The insights from the Nigeria National Youth Index will guide stakeholders in identifying gaps, leveraging strengths, and ensuring that no young person is left behind in our pursuit of national growth and prosperity.”
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The NNYI, a SPARKLE initiative funded by the Ford Foundation, is a practical and policy-driven approach to measuring and monitoring various dimensions of youth development in Nigeria using existing secondary data.
Dr. Olorunfemi Ogundele, Project Coordinator, highlighted that the NNYI is the result of collaborative efforts among stakeholders in youth development, including academic institutions and researchers. He noted that the index provides analysis in critical areas such as education, employment, health, and social inclusion, as outlined in Nigeria’s National Youth Policy. Ogundele stated, “By providing an overview of the state of youth in Nigeria, this report seeks to illuminate the path towards ensuring periodic and objective monitoring of youth development in Nigeria and to serve as a basis for advocating evidence-informed advocacy for more targeted and effective youth development interventions.”
The event also saw the unveiling of the logo for the fourth Nigeria Conference on Adolescent and Young People’s Health and Development, organised by the Society for Adolescent and Young People’s Health in Nigeria (SAYPHIN). The conference, titled “Garden City 2025,” will be held in Port Harcourt in August 2025.
Professor Omosivie Maduka, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Director of the Centre for Health and Development at the University of Port Harcourt, revealed the conference’s theme: “The Evolving Adolescent and Youth in a Digital Age: Building Resilient Young People in a Changing World.”
