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Nigerian youths have been charged to collectively come up with ideas to assist government to address the development challenges facing them in the areas of Health, HIV/AIDS, education, unemployment among others.

Speaking yesterday at the 1st Nigerian Youth Town Hall meeting (Southern Zone) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, the Minister for Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi said that government was desirous of their views to overcome the challenge for a better Nigeria.

The reason according to Senator Olasunkanmi, informed the recent establishment of Youth version of the Nigerian Parliament by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to serve as a veritable platform for young people to make their inputs in the decision-making process, as well as a preparatory ground for good governance, public administration and other leadership roles.

The Minister, who lauded the Southern youth for moving into action by organizing the Town Hall Meeting within the short time of their inauguration, also urged them to shun sentiments, concentrate on the topical issues and arrive at resolutions that would form the nucleus of Parliament Plenary Sessions slated for next month. Sen. Olasunkanmi who was represented by the Deputy Director, Network and Social Mobilization in the ministry, Mr. Bulus Zauka assured that the ministry would implement to the latter decisions reached by the Parliament notwithstanding its lean budget.

“With the active support of our partners and every stakeholder in youth development, we can collectively better the lot of Nigerian youths”, he added.

In his welcome address tagged “Charting a New Course for the Nigerian Youth, Speaker Nigerian Youth Parliament, Mr. Onofiok Luke said the meeting was organized to provide opportunity for the youth in the zone to undertake a detailed and entrenched introspection into their problems; articulate their potentials and define what the future should look like.

As a pilot edition, six thematic areas such as self appraisal, unemployment, youth-security, agencies relationship, education, youth involvement in policy formulation and Niger Delta Question were selected for discussion, he said.

Onofiok who praised President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for recognizing the roles of youth in policies formation and implementation noted that the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Parliament has shown that the President was poised to ‘walk the talk’ as far as youth development was concerned.

He pledged youth unflinching support to the present administration and its policies, while being expectant for better days.

The state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio who declared the Forum open, reiterated his administration continue support to the development of youth in the state.

The Governor who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Patrick Ekpotu urged them to use the opportunity to prepare their adult life in the society so that when they become adults they would make use of the experiences.