Business
UNFPA Wants Nigeria To Prioritise Investment In Youths
The United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise investment in young people in its 2015 developmental agenda.
The UNFPA representative in Nigeria, Ratidzai Ndhlovu, who made the call in Lagos at the launch of state of the world population report said that it was imperative for Nigeria to urgently recognise the role of young people in its development agenda.
She said that the UN strongly believes that young people between the age of 10-20 years have enormous potentials to facilitate sustainable and inclusive development.
“This is because adolescents and youths are more likely to invest their energy, intellect and resources to build a healthier world and to grow their country’s economy.
“In Nigeria and else- where therefore, we must lend our voices and give support to prioritising investments in the youth in this 2015 international development agenda”, she said.
Ndhlovu particularly drew attention to the linkages between young people and sustainable development, especially in developing countries where a large proportion of the population are young people.
“There is derivable economic gains, if deliberate efforts are being made to invest in young people’s education, health, sexual and reproductive rights,” she stated.