The Executive Director, African Youth Resource Centre, Ben Duntoye has urged governors, leaders in the public and private sector to emulate Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State in youth and women inclusion in governance and decision making.

Duntoye said this at a high-level meeting on the implementation of the national assessment and tracking program for youth non-governmental organisations in Abuja.

He said AbdulRazaq had shown leadership by appointing youth and women into his cabinet and in other decision making capacities, adding that the governor had chosen a path to listen to the yearning of youths.

He said such a gesture had increased youth participation in governance, saying governors of other states, leaders in the private sector and captains of Industries should take a cue from him.

Duntoye, who was the lead presenter on the topic “Role of Non-Governmental Organisations and other Stakeholders in the Implementation of the National Youth Policy,” advocated for the mainstreaming of young people in government.

He said the era of planning for youths without involving them was over, adding that there should be no plan for the youth without the youth.

He highlighted Kwara State as a positive example, where approximately 70 per cent of the state cabinet and aides are youths.

He said: “National Youth Policy aims to promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and protect the health, social, economic and political well-being of all young men and women in order to enhance their participation in the overall development process and improve their quality of life.”

He urged governments at all levels to conduct needs assessments to understand the requirements of the people, particularly “the marginalised youth.”

He called for a paradigm shift to address the needs of youth effectively.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, said that leaders in government and the private sector should involve youth in leadership and decision making processes.

He said that non – governmental organisations should brace up and not leave the government alone in the implementation of the national youth policy.

He emphasised the need for the government to have the data of youth serving non – governmental organisations in view of knowing their activities and tracking them for development purposes.