FG sensitises stakeholders in Plateau to importane of peace, security

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has organised a workshop for stakeholders in Plateau to the importance of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security implementation.

Declaring the event open on Wednesday in Jos, Mr Sunday Dare, the minister in-charge of the ministry, said that the workshop was organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (NCYPS).

Represented by Lami Bature, Dare described the event as a pre-dissemination workshop, aimed at sensitising key stakokders at the state levels toward the full implementation of the plan.

He explained that the action plan was a resolution of the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) 2250, that was unanimously adopted by the m United Nations General Assembly in 2015.

“In October 2016, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the UNSCR 2250 in Abuja to bring the attention of youth, peace and security agenda in Nigeria.

“The outcome of the launch was the establishment of the National Working Group on peace and security, which later became the NCYPS.

“After deep consultation, desk reviews, development of structured instruments, pre-test and validation, the document was subjected to an affirmation in August 2021 before its official launch in November same year,” he said

Dare further explained that the pilot scheme for the implementation of the action plan, which would run between 2021 and 2024 before any review, is currently running in Plateau, Adamawa, Kaduna State, Edo, Delta, Oyo State and Abuja.

“We are here today to create awareness on the this document and to map the stakeholders that we need to engage to implement it in this state.

“We are hopeful that the implementation of the youth, peace and security action plan will open positive and sustainable opportunities for young people,” he said.

The minister called on the State Government, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), community and religious leaders, security agencies, the media, among other stakeholders to support the initiative.

Earlier, Mr Victor Lapang, the Plateau Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, described the event as “timely”.

Lapang, who expressed government readiness to domesticate the action plan in the state, maintained that the initiative had tallied with the various efforts of government toward building trust and peaceful coexistence in the state.

He advised participants to cascade the knowledge gained to other members of their communities, adding that such move would enable wider spread of information about the action plan.

On his part, Mr Theophilus Ekpon, the co-chairman of the coalition of youth, peace and security said that initiative would go a long way toward addressing youth restiveness and vulnerability in the society.

He said that the action plan, if implemented, would give young people a pride of place in the society, adding that it would enable them attain their full potentials in life.