The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Solomon Dalung, has said the ministry will soon hold a national youth dialogue to make Nigerian youths join the fight against corruption.
Dalung said this in Abuja on Friday at a press conference held by the ministry to mark the “Africa Youth Day” celebrated yearly on Nov. 1.
He said that the ministry would engage youths in both northern and southern parts of the country in the proposed dialogue.
He said that the dialogue became necessary since young people were important in the fight against corruption through the use of new mechanisms,
He listed the mechanisms to include whistle blowing, social media and investigative journalism.
“The ministry would engage the youths to create and pilot innovative solutions to the fight against corruption using the African Union-European Union Youth Cooperation Lab.
“Furthermore, the Federal Government through the ministry has embarked on series of activities aimed at ensuring accelerated sustainable development especially for the Nigerian youths.
“Some of these include strengthening youth networks and platforms, reform of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, promoting cultural and youth exchange programmes and providing intervention for value reorientation and leadership training.
“We also plan to improve capacity building on sustainable livelihood skills in agriculture and vocational skills for young people in four centres across the Country.
“This will enable the government empower more unemployed youths and provide grants after training to support the establishment of their businesses,” Dalung said.
Mr Adesola Olusade, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry said that youths constituted over 60 per cent of the Nigeria’s population.
He enjoined the youths to take positive actions against corruption, be good ambassadors of integrity and peace advocates.
He said that these qualities would help accelerate meaningful and sustainable development in Nigeria.
NAN reports that the Africa Youth Day is a day set aside annually to promote youths as key agents of social change, economic growth and sustainable development in Africa.
NAN also reports that this year’s celebration is themed “Raising Youth Voices against Corruption in Africa,” with the African Union Commission (AUC) calling on all young people to come together and fight corruption.
