Olawande Seeks Stronger FG, States Partnership On Youth Development

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments to ensure youth development programmes reach young Nigerians at the grassroots.

Olawande made the call when he hosted the Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Prince Niaphen, who paid him a courtesy visit to discuss areas of collaboration on youth development initiatives.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, said the success of federal youth programmes depended largely on the cooperation of states and local governments.

“You cannot work at the Federal Ministry without having the sub-nationals support you. If you are doing anything at the national level and the State does not align with it, it will go nowhere,” he said.

Olawande urged commissioners responsible for youth affairs to strengthen their engagement with the ministry, describing it as the federal constituency for stakeholders working to advance the interests of young Nigerians.

“This is your constituency as far as youth is concerned. This is where you can call home at the Federal level,” he said.

He also commended Niaphen for what he described as his commitment to mentorship and developing young people to take up leadership responsibilities.

The Minister said Nigerian youths remained “not only creative and innovative, but also resilient”, stressing that sustained cooperation across the three tiers of government was necessary to unlock their potential.

Niaphen thanked the Minister for the reception and expressed the Plateau State Government’s readiness to deepen its partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

He said the state remained committed to youth-focused programmes aimed at skills development, empowerment and creating opportunities for young people to contribute to the development of Plateau State and Nigeria.