The Speaker of the fifth session of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Dr Azeezat Yishawu, on Monday commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajuddeen Abbas, for his unwavering commitment to youth engagement through the bi-annual youth town hall initiative.
Our correspondent reports that this is a sequel to the successful youth town hall on the 2025 Budget, where critical issues affecting young people were deliberated.
The initiative fulfills the speaker’s July 2023 pledge to host bi-annual town hall aimed at fostering dialogue between the government and the youth, with ministers, heads of MDAs, aides, as well as youth and student groups, serve as an avenue for young people to contribute meaningfully to their aspirations in the 2025 Budget.
Among key issues raised were calls for increased funding for youth development initiatives and the centralisation of youth-related activities to ensure coordinated efforts, requests were championed by the National Youth Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Youth Parliament, among other organisations.
Yishawu said, “We must also acknowledge and appreciate Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajuddeen, for his commitment to engaging young people directly through his office. During the town hall meeting he fulfilled his pledge by announcing the appointment of eight Senior Legislative Aides to his office, a move designed to enhance youth inclusion in governance.
“We also appreciate Hon. Esim Martins Etim, Chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development and Hon. Lamir Umar Ibrahim, SA Youth Affairs to the Rt. Hon. Speaker Tajuddeen Abbas, for their valuable contributions toward ensuring the success of this initiative.
“This milestone reaffirms the Speaker’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians and ensuring they play an active role in shaping the nation’s future.”
Participants also advocated for increased resource allocations to organisations like the Industrial Training Fund, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, and the National Directorate of Employment, saying, “The aim is to empower these organisations to implement more impactful youth initiatives focused on empowerment and capacity building.”
