IYD: Making The Youths Relevant

Today is International Youth Day, celebrated annually round the world to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potentials of youth as partners in today’s global society. This year’s theme is, “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for all Ages”.
In his speech to mark the day, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, stated: “Today, we celebrate the International Youth Day and the power of partnerships across generations. The theme reminds us of the basic truth, we need people of all ages, young and old alike to join forces to build a better world for all.
When young people are shut out on the decisions being made about their lives or older people are denied the chance to be heard, we all lose.
Solidary and collaboration are more essential than ever as “our world faces series like to join forces to build a better world for all.
The Secretary-General reinterated that when young people are shut out on decisions being made about their lives or older people are denied the chance to be heard, we all would lose.
He however, noted that solidarity and collaboration are more essential than ever as our world faces series of challenges that threaten our collective future”, adding that, from COVID – 19 to climate change, to conflicts, poverty, inequality and discrimination, we need all hands on deck to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and live a better more peaceful future.
He also stressed the need to support young people with massive investment in education and skills building, and also support them to participate in civic and political life.
“We need to listen to young people, integrate them into the decision making mechanism at the local, national and international levels.
We need to ensure that other generations have access to social protection and opportunities to give back to their communities and share their decades of live experiences they have acquired. Let’s join hands across generations to break down barriers and work as one to achieve an equitable,just and inclusive world for all people,” he said.
Here in Rivers State, the state government had earlier commenced one week programme to celebrate youths from Friday 5th August, 2022.
Today,there will be a press statement at the conference hall of the Ministry of Youth Development and later the Rivers State  Youth Leadership Summit/Award Ceremony with Interactive session at Horlinkin’s event place, Eastern By-Pass,Port Harcourt.
Also, in Rivers State, non- governmental organisations are celebrating  this year’s youth day.
In an interview with The Tide, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Development Supportive Initiative, Dr. Mina Ogbanga in commeration of the celebration said that the coalition of Non – Governmental Organisations  (NGOs) in Rivers State is looking at the  theme of the day by covering the generational gap and celebrate youths by calling for action for the activation  and domestication of the National Youth Policy by the Rivers State Government.
Dr. Ogbanga said the group is calling on all states in Nigeria especially Rivers States to come to the aid of youths to domesticate the National Youth Policy which cut across all the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to her: “The National Youth Policy is a framework that is supposed to drive development for the young people in the country.  The impact is that if government can keep to the commitment as contained in the policy, the nation will have positive youths.
“We are closed to electioneering campaign period and we wouldn’t want our youths to be used negatively.  Most youths are out of school and might be vunerable .
This year’s celebration is very apt. We want a transformed society where youths would not be vunerable, roaming the streets, taking drugs, internet frauds, kidnapping and all sorts of negative vices. We need the political will to take action in the needs of the youths. So we are calling on everybody to help actualise it”.
She however noted that her group is working with partners to see how the National Youth Policy can be implemented in Rivers State in line with this year’s celebration, in order to engage youths constructively  through employment by creating incubation centres for youths across the local government areas in Rivers State.
She stated that the process is currently ongoing and is carried out by he Youths Development Cluster (Centre for Development, Supportive Intiative and Relief International ) in Rivers State. The cluster head at the National is Youth Alive Foundation and Sponsored  by USAID and PALLADIUM,under the scale project.
International Youth Day is celebrated annually on 12th August to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.
The Day gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young people’s voices, actions and intiatives as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. It was established by UN General Assembly which on 17 December 1999, endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers responsible for youth calling for 12th August to be declared International Youth Day.

By: Ibinabo Ogolo