The Federal Ministry of Youth Development, today, sealed partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support the Nigerian Youth Helpdesk, an initiative to empower young people to stand against corruption and shun crime in Nigeria.
At a press conference jointly addressed by the Minister for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande and the Country Representative of UNODC Nigeria, Mr. Cheikh Toure, the duo highlighted the challenges corruption and insecurity pose to the development of young people.
They, therefore, announced their commitment to develop a long-term partnership to address the challenge.
The reintroduction of the Nigeria Youth Helpdesk is one of the initiatives emerging from the collaboration between the two institutions, and formed part of the recommendations from the youth dialogue on transparency and integrity in public service presented to the Minister by Youth Champions in August, 2024.
While speaking, Youth Champions against Corruption, represented by Mr. Mubarak Idris and Ms. Calista I.
Njoku appreciated the Ministry and UNODC for the commitment to amplifying the voices and needs of young people.
Both representatives emphasized the willingness of Nigerian youth to build trust and work more collaboratively with the Federal Government whenever they are presented with the opportunity to do so.
Mr. Cheikh Toure, Country representative for UNODC Nigeria, on his part, commended the leadership quality of the Honourable Minister on the swift response to the recommendations of young people in Nigeria.
He expressed the continuous commitment of UNODC in working with the Ministry to identify potential areas of collaboration, especially those aimed at strengthening youth against corruption and address crimes, including drug abuse, human trafficking, cybercrime, violent extremism, etc.
The UNODC official also noted the significance of the Nigerian Youth Helpdesk as a viable initiative that can empower young people as agents of accountability and help address the various challenges that young people face in accessing justice.
He announced that UNODC will be happy to discuss other areas of collaboration, including those aimed at empowering youths at the sub-national level.
Mr. Toure also mentioned that the proposed National Youth Conference provides another opportunity to positively amplify youth voices, listen to their need, and engage them in good governance processes.
Responding, the Minister welcomed the partnership with UNODC, stating that such collaboration is required to ensure the success and sustainability of the Nigeria Youth Helpdesk Initiative.
“For decades, young people have always felt left out and, as such, lost trust in the government to address pertinent issues concerning their safety and accountability. This lack of direct engagement has led to youth restiveness and low patriotism, which was evident during the ‘End SARS’ protest.
“I am pleased to re-introduce the Nigerian Youth Helpdesk as a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of young people in addressing corruption and improving access to justice,” Olawande said.
The Minister further emphasized that the Helpdesk is a program with several components, noting that “with the ongoing collaboration with UNODC, we will be taking the initiative to all the local government areas across Nigeria. Nigeran youths should be able to access justice wherever they are.
They should be able to see, touch, and feel the government.”
