SDGs: Lawyer advocates active youth participation in governance

By Yinusa Ishola

SDGs
Omu-Aran (Kwara), March 4, 2020 (NAN) A legal practitioner, Mr Abayomi Adekanye, has advocated for active youth participation in governance in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Adekanye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran on Wednesday that implementation of SDGs, to a great extent, depended on younger citizens’ ability to hold their leaders accountable.

NAN reports that the 17-point goals to be achieved by 2030 included ending poverty and hunger, food security, infrastructure and sustainable agriculture, among others.

The set goals, which were adopted by World leaders in September 2015,  officially came into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

Adekanye said since countries globally were expected to mobilise resources to achieve the set goals in about 10 years, youths should play their expected roles.

Adekanye, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of a private legal firm in Kwara, said youths should be involved in national-level planning, implementation and monitoring of SDGs.

The legal practitioner noted that youth activism was on the rise globally bolstered by unfiltered access to social media, adding that such can be an added advantage to disseminate information.

Adekanye, who described youths as critical thinkers, innovators and change makers, said: “Youths are capable of bringing fresh ideas with direct knowledge of issues and insights that are not accessible to adults.

“Youths have the capacity to identify and challenge existing power structures and barriers to change, and to expose contradictions and biases.

“Young people can be partners in communicating the agenda to their peers and communities at the local and state levels, as well as across districts and regions.

“If countries are to succeed in achieving the SDGs, leaving no one behind, governments must seek engagement of youths from diverse backgrounds,” he said.

He urged youth organistions to channel their resources to end all forms of poverty, inequalities and tackle climate change, which were part of the SDGs.

Adekanye described the goals that emphasised ending poverty and hunger, food security and sustainable agriculture, among others, for all as very critical to Nigeria’s development road map.

He charged the three tiers of governments to ensure a workable and harmonious synergy toward achieving the set objectives.

He added that efforts should be geared toward attracting youths to embrace agriculture both as a business and as a vocation. (NAN)
ISHO/JNEO/MST 

Edited by Josephine Obute/Muhammad Suleiman Tola