11/08/1998

Mr. President,

I wish, on behalf of my delegation, to start by thanking the Government of Portugal for their initiative and kind gesture in hosting this Conference. We also congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your election to guide the proceedings of this all important Conference which is historic in many respects. Firstly, it is the first ever global meeting on Youth at Ministerial level since the founding of the United Nations. It is even more significant in relation to the year it is taking place, because this year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The occasion has therefore created an effective forum for the international community to consider issues of critical importance to the youths, which transcend national borders and are relevant to the promotion of youth development, towards the achievement of the goals of the United Nations World Programme of Action for the Youth to the Year 2000and Beyond, adopted by General Assembly Resolution 50/81 of 14 December, 1995.

Mr. President,

The Nigerian delegation notes with appreciation the collaborative efforts of the United Nations and the Government of Portugal in organizing three sessions of the World Youth Forum preparatory to this Conference. The last session held in Braga, Portugal from 2nd - 6th August, 1998 was the climax, as it built on the gains from the first and second sessions which took place in Vienna. The three cluster areas discussed by the working groups at the forum, namely, Youth Policies, Youth Participation and Youth and Human Rights capture succinctly the major focus of the conference, which is essentially youth participation for human development. It is hoped that at the end of the conference, the main objective of the World Youth Forum, which is to improve the channels of communication and strengthen mechanisms for cooperation between the United Nations system, other inter-governmental organizations and youth organizations would have received adequate support and commitment from the Governments participating in the conference. My delegation hopes that this conference will adopt new dynamics for youth policy from an assessment of the various national youth policies since the International Youth Year.

Mr. President,

My delegation wishes to place on record the commitment of the Secretary-General of the United Nations towards the promotion of the ideals of the conference, by his presence at the opening session. This commitment was also evident in his report to the General Assembly in 1997 on the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

The Nigerian delegation acknowledges the expression of solidarity contained in the statements of previous speakers and their commitment to the achievement of the objectives of this Conference namely to review, appraise and further promote the implementation of that Programme of Action. They all recognized the importance of giving the youth a role in shaping the world in which they live in as adults and strengthening national youth capacities in order to increase opportunities available to them.

My delegation also commends the efforts and commitment of the Preparatory Committee for this Conference, which held several sessions and informal meetings in order to produce the final draft of the Lisbon Declaration. Although consensus is still to be reached on a number of issues, we appreciate the long hours of deliberation which is a clear indication of the committee's commitment towards the success of the conference. It is in this context that my delegation is pleased to note previous speaker's commitment to this goal. We hope that the rest of us gathered here will contribute to the achievement of these plausible objectives.

Mr. President,

We are gathered here to consider how best to empower the youth for their effective participation at local, national and international levels and to evaluate the progress achieved and the obstacles encountered in the implementation of the World Programme of Action. As we reflect on the International Youth Year, many countries have developed specific policies to address the problems of youth since its proclamation in 1985. At this juncture, it is pertinent to mention that my Government had already developed specific policies for the youth even before the proclamation of the International Youth Year. We are still committed to these policies to date.

For instance, my Government had established the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 1973 to enable young university graduates to serve the country for one year after graduation as a; contribution to the socio-economic development of their country. The Youth service has a fundamental objective of promoting the participation of youth in the implementation of the national youth policy through local and provincial youth projects. The youths are engaged in farming business ventures and community development projects. They serve in parts of the country far from their places of origin in order to promote peace and national unity. As a matter of fact, they are also encouraged to contract inter-tribal marriages to consolidate national unity. Outstanding corps members who distinguish themselves in the service are rewarded at the national level.

Mr. President,

My Government established two national financial institutions - the People's Bank and the Community Bank in order to increase local credit building capacities and capital base for the youths and rural dwellers for self-employment enterprises. My delegation is pleased to announce that many youths have benefited from loans obtained through these local initiatives.

The issue of unemployment amongst the youth globally cannot be over-emphasized. An unemployed youth is an unproductive citizen as it makes him dependent on the few employed. It is on recognition of this that my Government established the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), the objective of which is to promote the creation of employment for youths and assisting unskilled ones among them to acquire skills which will make them relevant in the productive sector of the economy. Permit me Mr. President to state that some of the unemployed youths have become gainfully employed and are even employers themselves. We appreciate the support and technical assistance given by UN Specialized Agencies, ILO, UTNDP, UNIDO and NGOs in the implementation and review of the NDE programmes. We also appreciate the support by the local financial institutions -People's Bank and the Community Bank. It is hoped that the international financial institutions would also consider supporting the NDE Programme in Nigeria.

Another area where my Government has been contributing to youth empowerment is Technical Aid Corps programme. This is an international programme established to help the developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean to meet their manpower requirements in various fields through the sending of Nigerian Young experts for service in those countries for an initial period of two years. Government is responsible for their transportation to and from those countries and pays their allowances for the two years. Some do end up securing employment in the receiving States at the end of their tour.

Mr. President,

In the implementation of our national youth policy, we encourage constructive youth organizations such as Students' Union organizations in our tertiary institutions, sports clubs, the Youth Organization etc. We recognize that their participation in these organizations prepares them for future leadership positions in the economic, political and social fields. - Our records have been impressive but in this task, you can not live on your past you must renew your credentials on a daily basis. My Government is ever prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

I wish to conclude, Mr. President, by saying that the time has come to deal squarely with the issues of youth empowerment with better understanding. The issues of the conference namely: - Unemployment fit, Peace, Development, Education, Participation, Health, etc, are inter-related and global in nature. This forum therefore provides the proper environment to improve the channels of communications between the United Nations system, other inter-governmental organizations and youth organizations so as to achieve the goals of the conference. Agreed programmes of action must be supported by demonstration of political commitment by Governments in order to attain these lofty ideals as we approach the 21st century.

Nigeria reiterates its commitment to the Lisbon Declaration and the implementation of World Programme of Action for Youth towards the promotion and protection of the interest and the rights of the youth of the world.

I thank you.