By Our Correspondent

As part of its mission and objectives to promote transparency, accountability and inclusivity in the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of youth empowerment and employment programmes in Rivers State, some youth groups known as Kpor, Okana and Marine base Youth Leadership Networks has tasked the Rivers State government headed by Chief Nyesom Wike on job creation and creating a level playing ground for youths in the State to access these economic opportunities. This was part of the outcomes of the interactive sessions of the groups held recently at Kpor, Okana and Marine base communities in Rivers State.

The interactive sessions which were 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 Okana, Marine base and 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 interactive sessions.

The youth networks also urged the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Youth Employment and Empowerment to strengthen existing laws and monitor recruitment and empowerment processes, to ensure that everyone is given equal opportunity. The group reiterated the need for a register at the Gokana LGA secretariat for youths to register their names for empowerment opportunities when they are available and such register will be used to create a data base for information sharing and sub invitation for selection for particular empowerment and employment. The youth leaders and members present agreed to follow up with their community youths by mobilising them to come to the LGA secretariat and register their names on the registers to be provided by the secretariat, government agencies and Rivers state chapter of National Youth Council of Nigeria. They also agreed to follow through to make sure the register was opened as agreed. This has created a new indicator for measuring the implementation of the agreement. Youth agreed to mobilise their members, track the number of those who registered, male and female, track the number of those who were empowered and whether it was followed according to registration sequence.

The youth leaders also discussed the quota system in the State and LGA and demanded more inclusion of community leaders by the government ministries through the league of community leaders forum not just the National Youth Council of Nigeria as is the routine.

The youth leaders agreed 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 mobilise their members to form cooperatives related agricultural and entrepreneurial initiatives and monitor the approval and disbursement process to make it is done through a transparent, accountable and inclusive manner.

The community leaders and youths agreed to 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.

The members of the government body promised 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 will be used to engage youths in the LGA on a first come, first serve basis. Reports will be made available to youth bodies when they demand for it.

The NYCN Rivers State and the respective LGA promised to open up the employment and empowerment process by including all eligible youth through adequate information sharing and transparent selection process. The NYCN promised 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.

National Orientation Agency agreed to work with the youths to increase information sharing, visits 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.

Overall, the youths agreed that the programme need to pay more attention to making sure youth empowerment programmes are enshrined in the budget and at a reasonable percentage share of 10% and engage government from the point of budget circle especially in the call for circulars and town hall meetings for inputs in the budget formulation processes.

This will contribute to reducing grievances related to lack of transparency in the employment and empowerment process. It will also contribute to strengthening accountability process in youth employment and empowerment programmes as the youth can track how government selects and engages youths for each programme. It will increase trust and support the inclusion demand as reflected on the key results from the activity. It will reduce violent activities related to shared economic opportunities in the state and LGA.

Also, this has enabled a percentage of the youths in Gokana, Abual Odual and Phalga LGA especially marine base communities to interface with government senior civil servants, understand the issues in place and achieve a milestone of having a youth register for sequential follow in the selection process for youth employment and empowerment.

About the Network

The Kpor, Okana and Marine base Youth Leadership Networks were formed in 2014 by the youths of Kpor community 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.