Sokoto Govt, Others Push Stronger Youth Policy Implementation

Sokoto State government, youth groups, civil society organisations and development partners have renewed calls for stronger implementation of the domesticated National Youth Policy to improve youth development and inclusion across the state.

The commitment was made during a State Youth Policy Dialogue convened by the Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI) under the Youth Leading Change Programme, which was recently held in Sokoto.

The dialogue, supported by the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, brought together 44 participants from government institutions, youth-led organisations, civil society groups, development partners and representatives of persons with disabilities.

Participants reviewed the implementation of the state’s youth policy and identified gaps that hinder effective coordination and inclusive youth development.

They noted that although Sokoto State had domesticated the National Youth Policy and commenced implementation with support from development partners, several challenges remained.

The stakeholders identified low awareness of the policy, weak coordination among institutions, poor grassroots dissemination and inadequate inclusion of rural youths and persons with disabilities as key obstacles.

Speaking during the engagement, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mustapha Muhammad, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to ensuring effective implementation of the policy.

According to a statement issued by BCAI on Wednesday, the commissioner was quoted as saying that the ministry would ensure the policy received the needed attention across relevant sectors.

“The Sokoto State Government has already domesticated the Youth Policy and the ministry will do the needful to ensure the government gives due consideration to its implementation across relevant sectors,” he said.

Muhammad added that he was ready to escalate the matter to Governor Ahmed Aliyu to secure stronger government support for the policy framework.

The ministry also disclosed plans to translate the policy into Hausa and Ajami languages to improve accessibility and encourage wider grassroots participation.

BCAI’s Chief Operating Officer, Fatima Aliyu, said the dialogue formed part of a broader regional strategy aimed at strengthening youth governance systems across North-West Nigeria.

Also speaking, Project Lead of the Youth Leading Change Programme, Sadiq Shehu, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between young people and key stakeholders to promote inclusive governance and sustainable youth development.