NCWS tasks youths on rebuilding Nigeria

NCWS tasks youths on rebuilding Nigeria
By Dorcas Jonah
Youths
Abuja, July 10, 2018 (NAN) The National President, National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS), Dr Gloria Shoda, has urged Nigerian youths to support the rebuilding process of taking Nigeria to greater heights.
Shoda asked the youths to announce their presence and demonstrate capacities to reposition the country in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
She enjoined them to stay true to the course of innovative thinking towards nation-building.
Speaking ahead of the International Youth Day, Shoda said that the youths have a responsibility not only to themselves but to their communities and the country at large.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Youth Day is marked on Aug. 12, every year.
According to her, Nigeria possesses a huge youthful population that offers so much potential, which must not be wasted but creatively and passionately be diverted into worthwhile patriotic activities to develop the country.
“This is the time for the youth to announce their formidable presence on the nation’s conscience and demonstrate their capacities to be the generation to continue with the baton to take Nigeria to further heights.
“I believe that one of the greatest opportunities made available to the youth of Nigeria to participate in governance were the amendments made to the 1999 Constitution which altered the ages for running for public offices.
“The youth have now been handed a golden opportunity in the civic and political space to vie for public office and they must not let this prospect go under-utilised.
“We often hear the youths agitating about some issues affecting the country, they now have ample opportunities to go in there and drive the process,’’ the NCWS president said.
NAN recalls that Aug. 12 was first set aside as International Youth Day by the United Nations (UN) in 1999 to serve as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change.
It is an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, recently said: “the hopes of the world rest on young people”.
Shoda said she would like Nigeria to benefit immensely from the power of the youths being that they are the country’s dominant demography.
She called for the present leadership in the country to continue to meet the needs of the youths especially in the aspect of education and employment as well as cater for their national aspirations.
On this year’s theme “Safe Spaces for Youth’’, Shoda implored the government to integrate the priorities for youth development into public policy and monitor its implementation.
She said this should be done in the areas of skills-based learning in educational institutions to meet the needs of the labour market.
“The collective energies of the youth can push the nation to new heights especially in the light of the great innovative technologies we have at our disposal,” said the NCWS president.
Shoda also appealed to the political class to embrace and mentor the youth in their communities towards deeper socio-cultural participation so they can activate their full potentials for the benefit of all Nigerians. (NAN)
DE/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola