I developed a presentation that focused on scanning the current youth development space in Nigeria with a special focus on Government and to throw up current issues.

1. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT:
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
ROTIMI OLAWALE, YOUTHHUBAFRICA.ORG

2. TALKING POINTS
¨ The National Youth Policy
¨ Analysis of the100 Days Covenant with Youth
¨ The National Youth Council/National Youth
Parliament
¨ Financing Youth Development in Nigeria
¨ Evidence Based programming
¨ Planning for Youth
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

3. National Youth Policy
¨ Young women and young men should not be seen as a
problem but as a force for change, and in keeping with
this perspective, the National Youth Policy should be
viewed not so much as a means of addressing problems
associated with young people but as a means of
ensuring their participation in the building of their
communities and societies.
¨ The National Youth Policy recognizes and values young
men and women as important resource and national
asset and situates their needs and aspiration at the
centre of national development.
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

4. In 2009, the NYP aligned with:
National Policies
¨ National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development.
¨ National Gender Policy.
¨ National Health Policy.
¨ National Policy on Education.
¨ National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS 1&2).
¨ Seven point Agenda of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

5. Regional & Global Policies
¨ ECOWAS Youth Policy
¨ Commonwealth Youth Charter
¨ African Youth Charter
¨ The UN World Program on Action for Youth (WPAY)
¤ A 20 year review meeting holds in NewYork this month
¨ The MDGs
¤ The MDGs will be replaced by the SDGs in September
2015
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

6. Priority Areas
¨ 1. Youth and Education
¨ 2. Youth and Health
¨ 3. Youth and Agriculture
¨ 4. Youth and Employment
¨ 5. Youth and Science and Technology
¨ 6. Youth and Environment
¨ 7. Young Women and Girls
¨ 8. Youth Participation in Politics and Decision making
¨ 9. Youth and Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT)
¨ 10. Youth and Conflict Prevention/Peace building
¨ 11. Youth and HIV/AIDS
¨ 12. Youth and Drug abuse
¨ 13. Youth and Crime
¨ 14. Youth, Sports and Recreation
¨ 15. Youth and Arts & Culture
¨ 16. Youth and Family life
¨ 17. Youth Migration and human trafficking
¨ 18. Youth and Poverty
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

7. Review of the Youth Policy:
Identified Gaps:
¨ The Youth in Conflict sub-category of the NYP
dwells largely on the Niger-Delta conflict. Today,
Nigeria’s largest conflict is in the North-Eastern Part
of Nigeria and this might change going forward.
¨ The Ministry of Youth Development is currently the
Federal Ministry of Youth Service Corps
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

8. 100 Days Covenant with Youth
¨ A careful review of the 100days covenant speaks
to the following themes
¨ Youth Unemployment
¨ Youth Political Participation
¨ Youth and Education
¨ Youth & ICTs (This however is the most significant
aspect)
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

9. NYC/NYP
¨ As it stands, the National Youth Council is a registered
non-profit like any other non-profit in this room
¨ Its not established by any law in parliament like has
been previously claimed
¨ Its largely dipped its nose into local/national politics
and regular infighting
¨ The Council should be reformed and established as an
act of parliament.
¨ Its President should be elected and largely perform
ceremonial roles like the ICAN president but should be
staffed by a youthful but professional secretariat
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

10. NYP
¨ The youth parliament has performed better.
¨ We have seen previous alumni of the program go
on to become members of state houses of Assembly
and other positions
¨ The past 2 speakers:
¤ One is currently a House of Reps Member in Akwa
Ibom
¤ The National Youth Leader of the PDP
¨ The resolution from the Parliament is … ?
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

11. Financing Youth Development
¨ 2015 Budget: Total Budget = 71.85 billion
¨ Budget for NYSC = 69.13 billion
¨ Therefore NYSC budget represents 96% of the
FMOYD budget in 2015
¨ An innovation Fund is proposed by GMB team in the
first 100 days, however I’ll propose/recommend a
National Youth Development Fund that not just
focuses on innovation but funds other aspects of
youth development
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

12. Evidence Based Programming
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

13. What jobs are young people applying
for?
¨ For the Immigration job?
Source: Premium Times
In the 100 days covenant, there’s no plan to support
The informal sector!
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

14. Planning for Youth:
¨ Because we know Government is a continuum, I
recommend that the YOUWIN program be
continued, as it has been very successful
¨ However, this has to be reviewed, as the current
model of giving grants is not sustainable on the long
run
¨ An evaluation of the NYP should be quickly
conducted before a review is done. We need to
understand, what has happened? Where have we
made progress if any?
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111

15. Planning for Youth
¨ A new/Revised Youth Policy should contribute to a
National Agenda: We wanted to be one of the 20
largest economies by 2020, will that change?
¨ The National Youth Policy for instance does not
currently recognize Nigeria’s leadership role in
Africa and how youth can play a significant role
¨ Spending 96% of the Youth Budget on the NYSC
isn’t sustainable. Graduates represent a tiny fraction
of youth
rotimi@youthhubafrica.org +2348057704111