Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative in collaboration with Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, and Leap Africa between November 6-7, 2024, held two-day mentorship workshop on youths inclusion in governance and sustainable leadership.

PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that no fewer than 100 youths were selected from four Local Government Areas of Gombe State to participate.

Welcoming the participants, Team Lead of FOCEI, Ben Maina, said the training was geared towards strengthening the capacity of youth action groups to engage in local governance and policy reforms through advocacy strategies, “inclusive leadership practices that promote gender equity and social inclusion, actionable plans for sustained advocacy and leadership,” he added.

A facilitator, Yahaya Atiku, who took the participants through Gender Equity and Social Inclusion, Leadership challenges and overcoming barriers, Inclusive leadership and decision-making, harped on the need for government to prioritise activities of the youths in the state.

 
Atiku disclosed that for a society to witness development there was need for youths to be at the forefront, calling on participants to get involved without hesitation.

Our correspondent reports that on the second day after initial session at the workshop’s venue at Hajiya Amina Hall, Team Lead of FOCEI led the Youth Action Groups to Gombe State House of Assembly for a field trip on for presentation of policy brief to principal officers.

Maina explained to honourable members that FOCEI, Leap Africa, and Nigeria Youth Futures Fund have been grooming the 100 youths across four selected LGAs on rudiments of leadership.

Maina explained to the speaker that the visit was to present a comprehensive policy brief on domesticating and implementing the National Youth Policy.

While urging policymakers to prioritise youth empowerment and development, Maina added, “This milestone marks our commitment to creating a brighter future for Gombe youths.”

Emphasising the Team Lead’s message Atiku, noted that the gap was caused by lack of youth-centred policy, saying “Gombe State doesn’t have a working policy for youth; we decided that we develop as one of our advocacies strategies a policy brief that we will present to the honourable house. This is because they are the ones mandated with lawmaking.”

Atiku added, “Part of which is to address the policy reforms that affects them. We understand that there is a gap in Gombe State.”

Presenting the policy brief to the speaker, a participant in the cohort Juliana Yotti, read through the executive summary; background, key challenges of youths in Gombe State, primary goals, policy objectives, recommendations for developing youth policy, gender inclusivity, environmental sustainability and youth involvement.

On his part, Speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, Abubakar Luggerewo, who received the guests with his principal officers cutting across the three senatorial zones, lauded FOCEI and its collaborators for the huge investment geared towards sharpening the course of youths development in the state.

Luggerewo said, “Their statements are clear and I don’t need to say much. I will rather thank you most sincerely for coming and also let you know that Gombe State and Assembly we are youth friendly.”

While commending the leadership of Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, Luggerewo added, “The Government of Gombe State is a government looking forward on how to deal with the issue of unemployment believe me sincerely whenever you meet our governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, you will see him talking about the industrial park, so that government and other critical stakeholders will put heads together in getting investors so that our teeming youths will have jobs.”

Luggerewo continued saying, “I also want to call on you, by you I mean youths to remain focused the reason why I want you to remain focused, we must look at our peculiarities fish out areas we need to work on and concentrate to work it out. We can not all be leaders some must be followers and there are a lot of things to do in terms of entrepreneurial development. When I saw Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative my mind moved to educating the youths to be self reliant to be entrepreneurs to even employ others.”

He assured the group at the assembly would give the needed support, urging the project implementation to consider seven other LGAs following its importance, “I want to assure you that we are youth-friendly and anything that has to do with development and empowerment we are going to accord you all the necessary support to develop and empower our teeming youths. We are your partners, we will ensure we deliver on your key mandates,” Luggerewo added.