Youth Development Bill to Resolve Joblessness, Restiveness – Legislature

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly says the State Youth Development Commission Bill will address youths unemployment and restiveness in the State.

Mr Musa Iyimoga, the Chairman, House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, said this during a meeting with management of Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Actionaid Nigeria in Lafia on Monday.

Iyimoga (ZLP-Doma North) said that the bill, if passed into law, would also harness youths potentials and give them sense of belonging in the state.

The lawmaker said that the meeting was to brainstorm on the proposed bill as it awaits third reading.

"The Nasarawa State Development Commission Bill has scaled into first and second reading at the floor of the House.

"And it has been committed to this committee to work on it.

"By God's grace, I will present the report of the bill this week before the House in which it will be passed into third reading," he said.

The lawmaker commended the Deputy Speaker, Mr Nehemiah Dandaura, for initiating and sponsoring the bill.

On his part, Mr Nehemiah Dandaura, the Deputy Speaker of the House, who is the sponsor of the bill, explained that it would create job and empowerment opportunities for the youths.

"This bill will help in the creation of jobs and youth empowerment. It will also address the problem of youth unemployment in the state.

"The bill will stimulate economic growth and will attract counterpart funding.

"There are donor agencies that are willing to come to the state to invest and support the youths," he noted.

On his part, Mr Isaac Lucky, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, commended the House for having the youths of the state at heart.

He said that Gov. Abdullahi Sule was committed in addressing youth unemployment through his various policies and programmes.

The commissioner said that the bill would also boost the standard of living of the youths.

Mrs Ene Obi, the Country Director, Actionaid Nigeria, appreciated the deputy speaker for sponsoring the bill and the House for passing it into second reading.

Ene, who was represented by Mr Aliyu Adamu, the Programme Officer of Actionaid Nigeria, also said that the bill would give room for youth participation and inclusion in governance.

The country director said that the unemployment in the state and the country at large was at alarming rate, hence the need for all hands to he on deck to tackle it for the overall development of the country.