The Minister of Youths Development, Ayodele Olawande, has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to tackling corruption and engaging young people in the decision-making process as he highlighted the importance of collaboration and open communication.
Olawande while stating this on Monday at a joint press briefing with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime acknowledged the feelings of disillusionment among young people, stating, “For years, young people have felt let down and disconnected from the government.
“To address this, the minister announced the launch of a platform to give youth a voice and bridge the gap between them and decision-makers.
“The initiative, developed in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), enables young people to report corruption, seek justice and receive support for related issues.
“We are committed to listening to you and hearing your views. We value our youth and seek to empower them with knowledge to protect themselves.”
The minister expressed gratitude for the UNODC’s collaboration, emphasising the need for open partnerships to foster a sense of government accountability and transparency.
Earlier, the UNODC Nigeria Representative, Cheikh Toure, noted that the reintroduction of the Nigerian Youth Help Desk not only aligns with the theme of this year’s Anti-corruption Day, it is a viable initiative that can empower young people as agents of accountability and provide ample opportunity to address the various challenges that young people face in accessing justice.
Toure also appreciated the joint collaboration in bringing together youths to proffer solutions to good governance in their country.
He said, “Beyond that, through your leadership, they learned (or are learning) important ways to better engage with and build trust in government.
“Thank you, Minister, for being a Minister that ‘walk the talk’ and thanks to these courageous youth champions for your resilience, determination and courage to make a difference.”
He reiterated the continuous commitment of UNODC to working with the Ministry in identifying potential areas of collaboration especially those aimed at strengthening youth against corruption and addressing crimes including drug abuse, human trafficking, cybercrime, violent extremism, and all.
“I will also be happy to discuss other areas of collaboration including joint funding for ct es that empower youths at the subnational level. Perhaps we can discuss more ont proposed National Youth Conference.
“It can provide another opportunity to positively amplify youth voices, listen to their needs, and engage them in good nice processes,” he added.
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