The Ministry of Youth Development has launched a dashboard to foster accountability and transparency in matters affecting the Nation’s youth.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande informed that the platform was created for productive engagement and advancement of programs aimed at benefitting Nigeria’s youth.
Olawande stated that, “through this youth dashboard, the youth will be able to track, monitor and access all government youth activities. They will also be able to give their feedback and engage us, as well as offer suggestions on how we can make improvements in areas that are necessary”.
He stressed that the goal of the new initiative was to ensure transparency. “We must be open. We want the youth to be part of everything that we are doing in this government”, he said.
On her part, the Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives, Titilope Gbadamosi explained that the launch of the youth activities dashboard was more than just a technological milestone.
“It is the realization of the bold vision to place youth at the heart of our national development agenda. In this administration, we recognize that youth empowerment is not just a priority. It is a necessity. With over 60% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 25, our young people represent the greatest opportunity for growth, innovation and leadership.
“However, this potential can only be harnessed when youth focused initiatives are effectively designed, implemented and monitored. The youth activities dashboard is not merely a platform, it is a transformative tool that will revolutionize how we track and monitor data concerning youth development.
“Aggregating data on youth focused projects from ministries, departments and agencies, the private sector and development partners, how we analyze and evaluate providing real-time insights to measure the impact and relevance of these initiatives and also how we align and amplify, ensuring that all youth programs contribute meaningfully to the national development goals and aspirations of our young people”, she said.
Gbadamosi averred that the newly launched platform “ensures transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in how we empower our youth. By identifying successes and gaps, we can amplify the works and cross correct what does not. Ensuring that no young person is left behind”.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, disclosed that some ministries had budgets for youth development but the resources were not channeled to that cause, he therefore urged the youth to take advantage of the new initiative to demand for what is due them.
“Since it’s a dashboard, and there’s really an assignment and a mandate for this dashboard, find out these ministries, provide information around them, approach them, some of them don’t even have these programs. You can develop your youth programs and pitch it with them.
“Those money are prepared, they are meant for youth development and the youth ministry is to coordinate that. The dashboard would bring about accessibility and transparency”, he said.
