AS they joined their counterparts on the continent to celebrate this year's edition of the "African Youth Day," youth groups across the country on Monday asked government at all levels to fund youth-oriented initiatives and involve the younger generation in the governance process.

The African Youth Day is celebrated every November 1 in line with the decision of the 7th Ordinary Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU. It was celebrated on Monday in Nigeria because November 1 fell on Sunday, a work-free day.

The theme for this year's celebration was "Productive Youth for Stability and Economic Development."

Speaking at the event to mark the day in Abuja yesterday, a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Olusegun Olaleye, observed that neither the Federal Government nor the Ministry of Youth Development allocated funds to youth organs like the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the Nigeria Youth Parliament for youth development schemes in the country.

According to Olaleye, some of these youth organisations are being funded with members' contribution. He, therefore, demanded to know why the ministry, which creation the youths fought for, could not fund their activities.

Olaleye said: "Nigerian youths fought for the creation of an independent ministry, why is it that the ministry cannot fund the youth structures we have? Abroad, allocations are made to youth structures. We appreciate the amnesty initiative of the Federal Government but the youths who are not former militants must also be funded by the government."

Acting President, NYCN, Sotade George, demanded that young Nigerians should be officially involved in governance at the federal, state and council levels, which pupilage he argued would engender good succession in the nation's leadership.

He added that youths should be involved every step of the way in government's programmes like the Seven-Point agenda and Vision 20: 2020.

President, Pan-African Youth Union (PAYU), Ben Duntoye, who is a serving commissioner in Kwara State, asked that government, especially at the federal level, should adopt percentage representation on its cabinet to accommodate the youths.

Duntoye, who was represented at the event by Mr.Timothy Ademola, also canvassed that the government provide funds for youths to execute their entrepreneurial initiatives.

Speaker, Nigeria Youth Parliament, Luke Onofiok, thanked President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua for the Niger Delta amnesty programme and reaching an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which led to the reopening of public universities.

He enjoined concerned state governments to settle their disagreements with the Nigeria Union of Teachers in order to restore normalcy in the education sector.

Onofiok charged youths on selflessness, honesty and humility.

In response to the demands, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Mr. M.I. Kifasi, said the fact that the youths demanded an independent ministry and got it showed that the nation had a listening government.

He assured that the youths' requests would be forwarded to the Presidency and promised that the ministry would allocate money to fund youth structures in its 2010 budget.

Kifasi represented both President Yar'Adua and the Minister of Youth Development, Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, at the event.

In his speech read by Kifasi, President Yar'Adua said the "African Youth Day" was celebrated in line with the vision of African Union (AU) to develop the continent's human resources, especially the youths.

The President said: "We are fully committed to providing the enabling environment for Nigerian youths to actualise themselves, so that they can effectively utilise their energies and potential to facilitate stability and achieve economic growth.

"With our focus on human capital development as one of the pillars of the seven-point agenda, it is expected that the creative, productive and vibrant youths of Nigeria will be the veritable drivers of sustained growth and development in our match towards Vision 2020."

In his speech also read by Kifasi, Olasunkanmi said the "African Youth Day" was conceived to promote innovation and creativity among young people, and to strengthen youth participation in the economic, social and political development of their countries.

He added: "It is a clarion call to the youths to stand up to the challenges of unemployment and political instability and be actively involved in every process of development. Stability in the country is our collective responsibility, particularly when the youth segment is the most vulnerable during crisis."

2009-2018 had been declared the "Decade of Youth Development in Africa."