From Esther Akaa, Lafia
ActionAid Nigeria has urged the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to revive and pass the Youth Development Commission Bill into law.
Grassroots Parrot gathered that the bill was considered by the 6th Assembly to the stage of public hearing before it was abandoned.
The Programme Coordinator, Systems and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE 3) project of ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Aliyu Adamu, made the appeal on Wednesday.
Mr. Adamu led a youth advocacy group on a visit to the Chairman, Nasarawa House of Assembly Committee on Youth and Sports Development, Mohammed Isimbabi, in his office in Lafia.
He said that the visit was to seek his support on the bill, which according to him was in pursuance of the SARVE project earlier implemented in the state with funding from the Global Community Engagement and Resilient Fund (GCERF).
He noted that the Youth Development Bill is not just another piece of legislation but a crucial and timely initiative designed to address the pressing issues of youth restiveness, unemployment, and lack of opportunities that you people face daily.
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He said, “BBy establishing a Youth Development Commission, the bill aims to create jobs, empower our youth, and reposition Nasarawa State as the youth hub of the nation.
“Other states, such as Kogi (in 2018) and just recently Benue (2024), have successfully passed similar bills, significantly impacting their youth and overall development.
“The passage of this bill in Nasarawa will provide a legal framework for effective youth empowerment initiatives, ensuring our young people are engaged in productive activities and reducing poverty and violent extremism.
“The youth of Nasarawa are looking to their leaders for support, guidance, and opportunities. By revisiting and passing this bill, the Assembly will be taking a significant step towards securing a brighter future for our youth and, by extension, for our entire state.
“We are confident that under your leadership, the Assembly will take the necessary steps to ensure that the voices of our youth are heard and their futures are secured.”
He commended the State House of Assembly for its previous consideration of this bill and urged the 7th Assembly to prioritize it once again to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and peaceful state for the youth and future generations.
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On his part, spokesperson of the Nasarawa Youth Advocacy Cluster, Mr. Silisu Musa Ibrahim, said the group created by Action Aid Nigeria during its implementation of the SARVE 2 project is made up of representatives of all youth groups in the state to advocate for the establishment of the Youth Development Commission in the state.
He, therefore, called on the lawmaker to reconsider the bill and present it to the house for its passage and subsequent assent by Governor Abdullahi Sule in order to secure the future of the youths.
Responding, the Chairman House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Isimbabi, assured of his commitment to presenting the bill on the floor of the house for enactment into law.
“This bill is not new to me, and I am already working on it since the bill was handed over to me by the Honour Speaker of the 7th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau.
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“I am therefore committed to presenting the bill, and hopefully by next week, it will pass first reading,” he said.
Hon. Isimbabi said that he was also synergizing with the executive arm of government so that when the bill is passed, the governor will assent to it and establish the commission for the overall development of the state.
He, therefore, commended the group for the visit and assured them of his commitment to ensuring the enactment of the Youth Development Commission bill in the state.