The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone C, has called on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to ensure that young people are adequately represented in its 20-year development plan for the region.
NANS made the call while commending the commission and other stakeholders for initiating a long-term roadmap aimed at addressing the developmental challenges confronting the North Central region.
In a statement issued by the NANS Zone C Coordinator, Comrade Abiola Azeez Babatunde, the association described the initiative as timely and forward-looking, stressing that youths and students must play a central role in shaping the region’s future.
Babatunde said the plan should prioritise education, skills acquisition, employment, entrepreneurship, technology and meaningful youth participation, given the population, skills and potential contributions of young people to economic and social development.
He stated, “Students and young people are not only beneficiaries of development; we are also partners in building the future we desire.”
The NANS coordinator assured the commission of the association’s readiness to collaborate with it and other stakeholders to expand opportunities for students and youths across the region.
Also speaking at the engagement, the Head of Emergency and Disaster Management, NANS, Comrade Anzaku Shedrack CNS, who represented the NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde GCNS, commended the commission for the initiative.
Shedrack urged the NCDC to sustain stakeholder engagements on a quarterly basis, assuring that NANS would continue to support development initiatives aimed at improving the region.
The students’ body further called for sustained collaboration among the commission, governments, educational institutions, organised youth groups, traditional institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the development plan.
NANS also urged the commission to maintain regular consultations with students, describing them as an important constituency whose experiences and ideas should be reflected in the region’s long-term development agenda.
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