From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Youth Organisations in Benue State have restated their resolve to join other youths in the country as advocates of peace, unity and security of Nigeria.

The youths who made this commitment during a two-day activity to celebrate this year’s International Youth Day also demanded for more inclusion of young people in governance at all levels of government in the country.

The two-day event which held in Makurdi, the state capital featured a road walk as well as symposium on the theme; “Youth Building Peace” where different speakers harped on the need for every Nigerian youth to stand up for peace.

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President of Next Generation Youth Initiative (NeGYII), Ambassador Onoja, in a goodwill message listed challenges militating against the development of youths in the country to include but not limited to unemployment, lack of access to quality education, exclusion and marginalization.

“Key among these challenges are the exclusion and marginalisation of the youth championed by governments across the the three tiers and our elected leaders, unemployment, lack of access to quality education and other opportunities for young people as well as insecurity faced by the youth.”

Onoja who posited that good governance and accountable leadership appeared to be highly lacking in the country enjoined the government at all levels as well as other stakeholders to quickly address these challenges with a view to giving the youths a sense of belonging.

He averred that young people’s contribution to the prevention and transformation of conflict had become necessary for social justices to prevail in the society as youth organisations work together so as to save the populace from the growing trend of violence and conflicts as well as to positively realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).