The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has extolled the role of the youth to bring about the national development of the country.
Tallen, who was represented by an aide, Angela Nkwocha, disclosed this in Abuja at a programme organised by Teens and Nubile Club, a Non-Governmental Organisation.
She stated that no nation could develop when a large percentage of its population were idle and ineffective.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the programme was organised towards transforming the mindset of the Nigerian youth for sustainable national development.
The minister said a society that prepared the youth for the sake of future aspirations would secure its future development.
She said it would also prepare its next set of leaders who would champion reconciliation and development.
“Therefore, the role of the youth in national development is sacrosanct to the whole development aspiration of any society.
“The youth in any society are the engine of growth and development; because they provide the labour force for production of goods and services to take effect.
“They are also the critical stakeholders, whose action and inaction can develop or destroy the fabrics of our society.
“Given their strategic role, the youth have the greater responsibility to promote peace, security, stability and national unity through their active involvement in the electoral process.
“They are there to build bridges of understanding across ethnic groups, political affiliations and religious divide,” she stressed.
The Programme Coordinator, Teenub, FCT, Mrs Mayen Ebong, said the organisation was out to imbibe in the youth moral behaviour and transform them into better people for the future.
She said the NGO was out to teach the youth on how to handle situations in the society, adding that, recently moral decadence and social vices were prevalent among the youth.
“Teenub means teens and nubile, and then we work with young people and the teenage range, widows, vulnerable women, whatever involves in training them is what we do.
“Now, today’s programme is centred on the youth, about transforming them, transforming their minds, about how they handle situations in the society.
“This programme is about transforming Nigerian youth so that we could have a better society from the current one we are having,” she stressed.
The Director of the Orientation and Behavior Modification Department, National Orientation Agency, Mrs Tessy Nnalue, spoke on a theme, ‘The growth in me, I am a part of the country’.
Nnalue stated that the agency was doing its best to reorient Nigerians on what was right and wrong.
She said the agency covered every nook and cranny of the country, adding that it was present in the 774 local government areas of the country.
“NOA focuses on sensitisation of the populace, particularly on government policies and programmes.
“We are doing a lot, we always organise programmes where we invite the youth, we create awareness, we do that by also making use of the traditional rulers, religious leaders.
“We go to the churches, mosques, we do that in order to make sure the youth understand what will be beneficial to them.
“My advice for the youth in the 2023 elections is for them to think very carefully before going on an illegal errand for any politician who will use them and dump them,” Nnalue urged.