By Funmilayo Adeyemi
Plan International Nigeria, an advocacy group, has tasked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nysom Wike, to address the growing population of unemployed youths in the territory.
Helen Idiong, Director, Programme Quality and Influencing of Plan International Nigeria, gave the advice in Abuja on Thursday at the commemoration of the 2023 International Youth Day.
Idiong said the influx of youths into the territory is alarming thereby contributing to insecurity, hence the need for the minister to look urgently into their situation.
”What is happening in the FCT is frightening, you walk around and you see a lot of youths on the streets having nothing to do.
”The theme for this year’s International Youth Day is also very apt which is green skills and everyone will not be able to fit into the space for white collar job and so we are also looking at green skills.
”We are calling on the Minister of the FCT to look into the plights of the youths.
”Yes, we heard he is looking at the masters plan of FCT, structures that are not in place, he is going to demolish them, properties that have not been developed he is going to ensure that they are revised.
”But what is more pressing is the fact that we have these army of youths on the streets not doing anything.
“We call on the minister as he is putting things in place to reverse the masters plan back to what it used to be , he should also put the issue of the youths in the forefront,” she said.
Idiong added that Plan International prides the youths highly and as such puts in place policies which government could take up.
”The issue of youths doesn’t have to wait for a particular period so we have to put youth issues in the forefront so that government can have to look at the model we put in place. So they can start intervening.
”The issue of unemployment affects the youths mostly and we can’t have this large population unemployed.
“So we are hoping that by bringing the youths to the fore, getting their voices heard and take youth issues seriously, we will get things right,” she added.
While charging the youths to be more creative, she urged them to go into green skills that would help support the government in protecting the environment as a result of climate change.
Also, one of the participants, Victoria Okwujia, encouraged the youths to go into the skills that would be of benefit to the environment as well as engaging in skills that would financially payoff for them.
Okwujia, who is also the Youths Engagement and Advocacy intern with Plan International Nigeria, said that while learning the skills, youths must bear in mind such skills that would help impact the environment especially as climate change is taking a new turn on the environment.
”Plan International is considering youth centeredness as a new approach to its programmes.
”We can see how climate change is distracting everything and affecting everything including prices of food.
”So we are encouraging the youths to go into green skills because the planet belongs to us and everything we have to do, we must put in mind that whatever we do is going to affect us in the long run.
” So while learning skills or taking adventure, we must always consider the climate and the earth,” she said. (NAN)
