Civil Society Organisations, Senior government officials and other development partners in Akwa Ibom State have reiterated commitments to support the Ministry of Youth Development in implementing the Youth Policy and Roadmap as the state’s blueprint for inclusive youth advancement.
This was part of the communique issues at the end of a two day high level stakeholders roundtable for the review and validation of the Akwa Ibom Youth policy and youth development roadmap held in Uyo.
The event was organized by Clement Isong Foundation in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria and Ministry of Youth Development, Akwa Ibom State in commemoration of 2025 International Youth Day.
The stakeholders pledged to work collectively to facilitate the passage and securing of executive assent for the Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund, AKYDF, Bill and making it the central financing mechanism for youth development in the state.
They also called for the establishment of a fully constituted State Youth Parliament for ages 15 to 35, integrated into the Youth Advisory Board, to foster legislative engagement and policy input from youth as well as a five-year strategic financing and implementation plan with clear roles for all stakeholders and a performance review mechanism.
While reaffirming their commitment to working collectively towards the realization of an economically vibrant, innovative, and inclusive Akwa Ibom State where youths are key drivers of development; the stakeholders called for institutionalization of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework to track progress, ensure transparency, and enable course correction
The communique added, “there should be a comprehensive Disability Law which would help safeguard the rights of youth with disabilities. Extension of youth age limit to 40 years for persons with disabilities and provide inclusive modalities for all programs to combat impairment-barrier interactions.
“There should be inclusion of non-indigenes who have been resident in the state for up to seven years in community-based youth programs strengthens social cohesion and prevents marginalization.’
