In the wake of biting unemployment and poverty affecting youths, the House of Representatives committee on youth development has called for the declaration of state of emergency on youth development in Nigeria.

In furtherance of this, the committee has also resolved to take legislative actions to resuscitate Youth Development Centers across the country and promote vocational training to encourage youth entrepreneurship in the country.

This was contained in a communiqué released to the press at the end of a two-day legislative retreat in Lagos where the committee reiterated its commitment to fulfil its mandate of ensuring youth development across the country through legislative actions.

As part of measures to invest more in youth leadership and development, the House of Representatives committee on youth development has also vowed to take legislative action to provide a legal framework for youth development to fast-track the implementation of the new national youth policy.

Through legislation and oversight, the committee will ensure the constitution of the National Youth Development Council, National Council on Youth Development as well as promote legislation focused on the Strategic Thrusts and Policy Benchmarks of the National Youth Policy 2019.

According to the communique released on Thursday, the nine-man committee chaired by Hon. Yemi Adaramodu, the discussion focused on the fact that national development and integration is predicated on the youths who are the bedrock and building blocks of development, thus the committee will henceforth, deploy its legislative powers and functions to ensure that all national development programmes, policies and projects accord priority to issues of youth development.

The committee also recommended an urgent need to ensure political inclusion of Nigerian youths in electoral and political processes as a catalyst for social transformation and national development.

“To this end, the committee will leverage on the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act to advocate amendments that guarantee the political inclusion of Nigerian youths,” it read, adding:

“That while noting the progress achieved through the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ law, there’s an urgent need to ensure political inclusion of Nigerian youths in electoral and political processes as a catalyst for social transformation and national development.

“To this end, the committee will leverage on the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act to advocate for amendments that guarantee the political inclusion of Nigerian youths.

“Particularly, the Committee may propose legislation for further reduction in the age requirement for the positions of governorship and membership of the Senate which were not reduced in the previous constitution review process amendment.”

The lawmakers also lamented the unemployment and poverty rate saying it remains a huge problem affecting Nigerian youth. In this vein, the committee calls for an urgent declaration of state of emergency on youth development in the country. In furtherance of this, the committee will take legislative actions to resuscitate Youth Development Centers across the country and promote vocational training to encourage youth entrepreneurship in the country.

“The committee will intensify its oversight on youth development to promote the social, economic and political inclusion of the young people of Nigeria,” the communiqué said.

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