Nigeria's health indices have been described as one of the worst in the world, with women and children constantly losing their lives to one epidemic or another bedeviling the country.
Unfortunately the most hit of the human populace is the youth, who in the actually sense are very pivotal to nation development since they are said to be the leaders of tomorrow.
But the question at a parley recently organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and federal ministries of Youth Development, Health and Women Affairs in the nation's capital, Abuja is if the youths are adequately empowered to carry these responsibilities.
Stakeholders from various organizations came together to brainstormed on the need to find ways of empowering youths, advancing their health and development by making government at the three tiers, non-governmental organization, international agencies and development partners perform their roles in the empowerment and wellbeing for youths.
At the parley, almost every speaker was of the opinion that the rampaging HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy that leads to unsafe abortion, drug abuse, rape, early marriages, school drop-out among many other challenges are formidable stumbling-blocks that have been preventing youths from attaining their full potentials.
According to statistics made available at the conference, youths between the ages 10 - 24 years accounts for 33.4 per cent (47 million) of the total population of Nigerians.
Indeed, estimates show that by 2025, the number of Nigerian youths would have exceeded 57 million.
They opinioned that investing in youths would significantly shape the future since these categories of persons are characterized by high energy levels, openness to change, innovation, passion and restiveness.
Presenting a paper entitled, "Reaching In and Out of School Adolescents with Reproductive Health Education and Services", at the occasion, the Programme Officer of the Action Health Incorporated, Damilola Abokede, declared that it is extremely important to ensure that the development of young people should not be compromised under any guise.
She said, "the implication is that it is extremely important that opportunities for this group should not be compromised by highly preventable causes and circumstances like early initiation of sex and sexual risk taking, HIV infection, early marriage and childbearing, as well as gender violence.
The developmental efforts of the country must be inclusive of youths' participation, Mrs. Esther Agbarakwe of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (UNCSD) said.
According to her youth participation is, 'a programme strategy or an attitude that encourages youth to express their opinions, to become involved, and to be part of the decision-making process at different levels'.
She underscored youth participation in national development saying, "young people need a chance to develop. They also need the opportunity to have their voices heard and make decisions for themselves."
She added: "Youth participation is more difficult to achieve if cultural norms favour hierarchical or male dominated relationships, traditions, prevent youth from participating in education while encouraging child labour.
Unfortunately girls are excluded from participating and have no voice in many societies.
Agbarakwe argued that lowering the voting age to about 16 years will empower youth to have a stake in the political development of the country.
According to Dr Temitope Folaranmi, who is of the Campus Health and Rights Initiative, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, the high level of freedom the institutions guarantee present a breeding ground for possible social misbehaviors.
He observed that government and partners have neglected these institutions despite the urgent need to protect them from becoming fertile grounds for breeding diseases capable of killing young people at their prime.
His argument: "The government and development partners have unfortunately neglected the university environment. There is now a great need to direct attention to the reproductive health behaviour of young people in Nigerian tertiary institutions, in terms of both research and interventions."
He declared that responding to the health of young people in tertiary institution has become a matter of urgency that requires the commitment of all stakeholders including Universities authorities, local non-governmental organizations, government and development partners.
Presenting a keynote address titled, "The Health of Young People in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects" at the parley, Dr Olusola Odujinrin observed that there are too many well articulated policies, strategic work plans/action plans, fact sheets and disaggregated documents currently available for different categories of stakeholders but regretted that not much has been achieved despite the plethora of policy documents.
It was stated in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) report that youths must be actively involved from planning, implementation and evaluation reflecting rights based approach."
The common practice of drug abuse which is unarguably popular among youth also had a mention at the workshop.
The Executive Officer of Centre for Drug Abuse and Crime Prevention, Dr G.A Oloyede pointed out that drug abuse among the working class which youth populates can cause a reduction in productivity and lead to loss of revenue to the country.
On her part, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Osayi Oruene, speaking on "Youth Unemployment, Poverty, and Entrepreneurship issues," stated that youth are the greatest assets to the world.
They bring energy, talent and creativity to economies and create the foundations for future development.
Though Oruene described Nigeria as an endowed country, she opined that the present situation of the country presents a paradox.
She submitted that the panacea to the myriads of challenge inhibiting youth from contributing their expected quotas to the development of the nation would be to build their capacity to assume greater roles in national development efforts.
To the Resident Representative of the United Nations to Nigeria, Mr Dauda Traore, Nigeria's development is tied to the well-being of its youths.
Traore urged that the country need to prioritize programmes for youths.
In spite of the challenges, the UN Resident Coordinator sees hope in Nigeria's ability to promote programmes that would intimate youths on the need to protect themselves.
His words: "However, there is reason for optimism going by the realization of Nigeria's increasing commitment to young people's issues.
"The ratification of the Africa Youth Charter last year by Nigeria, the development of revised National Policy and Strategic Framework on the Health and Development of Adolescents and Young People, and the recent review of the national youth policy are clear examples of national commitment in this direction."
Nonetheless, he was quick to observe that there is still the need for the country to do more for its young people considering the enormity of the challenges confronting young people in Nigeria.
In his speech, the Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi said the newly approved National Youth Policy aims at promoting the optimal health and development of all young men and women in Nigeria through the design and implementation of health services that will promote a healthy youth population.
Source: http://www.ippf.org/
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