Being the full text of remarks by Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, Edo State Hon. Commissioner for Youth & Humanitarian Affairs on the occasion of the 2022 International Youth Day:
It is with great joy and pleasure that I make these remarks on the occasion of the International Youth Day 2022.
Edo state recognizes and values young men and women as important resources and state assets and situates their needs and aspirations at the center of state development. That is why it has adopted a practical, coordinated and strategic methodology to produce a first of its kind Youth Development Program Policy. The first dialogue session with stakeholders is holding on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.
Our proposed Youth Development Program Policy (YDP) is a strategic approach with a focus on practices for engaging entire communities in helping all youth thrive. It builds on traditional youth service approaches by emphasizing long term, systemic strategies for cultivating qualities and traits desirable in young people through the creation of environments that support their developmental needs and capacities.
Our YDP approach is founded on the belief that young people thrive when they are developmentally supported across all sectors of the community — school, youth serving agencies, faith organizations, community governance, business, traditional settings and more.
It is worthy to state unequivocally that the welfare and development of Youth is an area of Governance that is receiving concerted and deliberate attention of the Governor Godwin Obaseki led-Administration.
This Administration has provided support, training and empowerment for over 165,000 people, mostly Youth, across the 18 local government areas (LGAs) of the State. It is clear the Youth remain one of the thematic pillars of this administration and all is being done to build legacies through them.
International Youth Day:
International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society. The idea for International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by the young people who were gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations. The Forum recommended that an International Youth Day be declared, especially for fund-raising and promotional purposes, to support the United Nations Youth Fund in partnership with youth organizations.
In 1998, a resolution proclaiming 12 August as International Youth Day was adopted by the first session of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth which was hosted by the Government of Portugal in collaboration with the United Nations (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998). That recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/54/120 entitled “Policies and Programmes involving youth” (17 December 1999).
The State Of Our Youth Today:
While acknowledging the great efforts of this Administration in Edo State in creating an enabling environment for the Youth to obtain the necessary education and skills to make them live better lives through maximizing their potentials, it is sad to note that some of our Youth are yet to realize that the bedrock of any Society is the quality of their Youth who are the Leaders of tomorrow. To this end, various Town Hall Meetings, Seminars, Symposia, Trainings and other platforms aimed at changing and challenging the negative tendencies and narratives of some of our Youth have been lined up by the Ministry of Youth and Humanitarian Affairs in partnership with Various International Agencies and Stakeholders including Religious Bodies, Traditional and Community Leaders, Youth Bodies and NGOs.
These interventions are being spearheaded by the State Government so as to show the depth of interest in building and sustaining the Edo Youth.
The future is bright!
As we celebrate this year’s International Youth Day, I want to encourage the Youth of Edo State to make themselves available for training so that they may be employable or employers while adequately enhancing their preparedness to play their roles in the growth and development of our dear State. As this administration assiduously provide ways to improve the fate and fortunes of the Youth especially in the human capital development, the Youth must actively participate so as to remain relevant, while shunning social vices.
Edo State must continue to show to the World that we are truly the “Heartbeat of the Nation” and it begins with securing our future through the collective resolve to build a dependable , reliable , enlightened and active Youth.
Happy International Youth Day to all the Youths.
It’s our duty to Make Edo Great Again!
Signed
Chris Osa Nehikhare
Hon. Commissioner for Youth & Humanitarian Affairs.
