RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT, AGENCIES URGED TO FOCUS ON JOB CEATION, INVOLVE YOUTHS IN DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING, EVALUATION OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES

By Our Correspondent

As ambassadors for job creation and promotion of transparency, accountability and inclusion in youth empowerment programmes, the youth networks urge the River state government and its agencies in charge of youth empowerment and employment to rise to the challenge of job creation and involve the youths in the design, implementation and monitoring of every programmes in the state. This was part of the outcomes of the last meetings of the groups in the year 2016 held recently at Kpor in Gokana, Marine base in Phalga and Okana in Abual Odual LGAs in Rivers State.

The meeting which was facilitated by Port Harcourt based Non-Governmental Organization known as Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development, CEHRD in conjunction with Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme NSRP, a programme of the British Council, was aimed at exploring avenues of ensuring that the youths in the community and its environs are meaningfully engaged through the youth empowerment and employment programs of the government.

Michael Chidozie and Queen Agba, CEHRD’s Project officers who facilitated the meeting on behalf of the organizations disclosed that the meeting was part of a youth empowerment project being implemented in Kpor and other communities in the state by the organization on behalf of the NSRP which is aimed at reducing violence in the society. “It is believed that if the employment and empowerment process is improved and youths are meaningfully and gainfully engaged, they will not have time to indulge in violence or restiveness”, said Michael Chidozie shortly after the meeting.

The youth networks agreed to follow through and lobby the River state chapter of National Youth Council of Nigeria and government body to create youth employment registers in the local government where youths can come at their free time and register their names, the community, sex, previous qualifications and the skills they need to acquire. The register should be used to engage youths in the LGA on a first come, first serve basis. Reports should be made available to youth bodies when they demand for it.

The networks will engage NYCN Rivers State, Youth related ministries and the respective LGAs to open up the employment and empowerment process by including all eligible youth through adequate information sharing and transparent selection process. The NYCN is expected to work with the League of community leaders to reach every community with information, at the right time and create trust among youths cut across the communities in the respective LGA and State.

The youths will strengthen collaboration with relevant state institutions and NYCN to increase information sharing, and visit to selected schools, volunteer mobilisation and engagement with State and LGA  primary and secondary schools on need to shun violence in demand for equity in the distribution of economic resources and conflict prevention.

The youth agreed on the need to set up cooperative societies so as to access River State government agricultural and entrepreneurial fund thereby tracking its transparency, accountability and inclusion as well as creating job opportunities among their youths in their communities which will lead to less engagement in conflict related activities and grievances related to shared economic opportunities. They are to tasked themselves 1,000 each and use it to apply for state agricultural grant. They also agreed to extend the same idea to the community leaders. This will also be used to monitor the transparency and accountability in the government empowerment and selection process for beneficiaries since they will apply without influencing the process.

Roles were distributed among members and committees formed to plan for the advocacy visits to the National Youth Council, Ministry of the National Youth Council, Ministry of Empowerment and Employment Generation, radio programme and interactive sessions. Topics were chosen and letters to be written by the secretary and chairman for onward submission. They will flow through until activity is concluded.

The youth leaders and members present agreed to follow up with their community youths by mobilising them to visit their LGA secretariats and register their names on the register to be provided by the secretariats. They are to mobilise their members to form cooperatives related to agricultural and entrepreneurial initiatives to create employment and empowerment through a transparent, accountable and inclusive manner. Also, they would carry out wider engagement with Employment agencies and National Youth Council of Nigeria in the State and their respective LGA to make sure their demands are implemented.

About the Networks

The Kpor, Marine base and Okana Youth Leadership Networks were formed in 2014 by the youths of Kpor, Marine base and Okana communities through Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development with support from Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, NSRP to carry out enlightenment campaigns within the community on the importance of using non-violent actions in the demand for economic opportunities for the youths, enlighten communities on how to key into government’s employment and empowerment programmes, and advocate for an equitable distribution of government programmes within the community, L.G.A and senatorial district.