By Onyekachi Eze
The Special Adviser to Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Youth Affairs, Chief Eric Uwakwe has exhibited a high sense of responsibility last week in far away Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when he challenged the World Leaders on the inclusion of youths in all her nation’s affairs.
The youthful Eric Uwakwe’s assertion, Trumpeta Newspaper learnt has earned him more support and accolades by well meaning Africans, Nigerians and Imo State in particular.
Addressing the participants drawn across all the African Countries of the world in a youth summit tagged, “Youth resilience in Covid-19 era; pathways to accelerate actions towards achieving SDGs”, Uwakwe spoke on the uprising relegation of youths by her government at all levels, as well as the need for change of approach by the youths in seeking attention.
Apart from making Nigeria proud with his vocal representation at the summit in Ethiopia, Chief Eric Uwakwe tasked Leaders to consider youths as integral part of the system, and instruments of growth.
He said, for there to be unwavering positive output, youths should be fully carried along in the policy initiative, formulation and implementation of every given society.
According to him, that is when they would have the opportunity to bring to fore, the needs and possible way forward towards ending youth restiveness.
Also, the Oru East born youth advocate stated that once unemployment, and technological lapses are addressed, many social vices would be tactically defeated.
Still speaking within the ambits of the theme for the year’s summit, an avenue created to enable African youth rise to the occasion of tabling major challenges facing them, Uwakwe who represented Nigeria at Ethiopia, unarguably opined that today’s millennial youths are brilliant, creative, innovative, and ready to drive development in their respective countries.
He reiterated thus, “I therefore call for the inclusion of youths in policy making, policy formulation and policy implementation as a way of curbing youth unemployment, restiveness and decadence in the society”.
While thanking the organizers for bringing youths across Africa for an inspiring, open and constructive debate on youth participation in SDGs implementation, monitoring and accountability, he didn’t forget to acknowledge the numerous impacts of the Imo State Government on her citizenry, especially towards the youth.
Eric Uwakwe submitted that the Governor Hope Uzodimma’s led 3R administration so far has not relented in placing Imo State on the world map, adding that the government accommodates younger people into taking part in policy and Leadership roles.
Recall that the African Youth Summit is the Africa’s largest youth forum which converge youths of all African countries together for a common purpose.
The Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) on its own is a United Nations initiative created to combat humanity’s greatest challenges by 2030, and to usher in a new era of cooperation and prosperity.
Launched in 2017, the Summit has evolved to bring together a multi-sector coalition of youth, development experts, government and UN entities, NGOs and the private sector to create the Africa we want together.
