National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Epe Branch, has urged government to actively engage youths in governance and decision-making processes, so as to promote inclusive development and growth.
Coordinator of NYCN, Mr Ibrahim Moibi, made the call on Thursday in Epe.
He said that meaningful youth participation remains critical in building a responsive leadership and strengthening democratic institutions across the country.
Moibi added that youths constitute a significant percentage of Nigeria’s population and possess the energy, creativity and innovative ideas required to drive national development.
According to him, excluding young people from governance structures limits the nation’s capacity to harness these potential for social, economic and political advancement.
He said that engaging youths in decision-making would foster a sense of ownership, responsibility and patriotism among young Nigerians.
He added that it will also reduce social vices like restiveness, unemployment-related crimes and political apathy.
According to him, structured platforms for youth inclusion would encourage constructive dialogue between government and the younger generation.
The council coordinator urged government at all levels, to create deliberate policies and institutional frameworks that promotes youth representation in governance.
He said that such measures would ensure that policies and programmes are youth-friendly, inclusive and reflective of the aspirations of the nation’s future leaders.
