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The Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19, NYC–COVID-19, under the United Nations initiative, has on Wednesday, inaugurated a new steering committee for the Kaduna State Chapter to champion its activities in the state.
Speaking during the inauguration, the National Co-ordinator of the group, Gambo Sulaiman Haruna, stated that the motive behind the inauguration of the Kaduna State Steering Committee is to support the Government in sensitizing the youth on the COVID-19 raging pandemic.
Haruna said that the group would support the Government in youth sensitisation, awareness creation and mobilisation to ensure youth effective response to the pandemic at the state and local government levels.
He also explained that the secondary motive behind the establishment of the group was to ignite hope to 10 million youths that have been affected by the ravaging pandemic of COVID-19 in the country.
His words, “Part of our responsibilities is in generating data, mobilizing networks of youth organisations across the country, informing, enlightening and supporting ongoing COVID-19 responses.
“We are expected to generate a database of 10 million Nigerian youths affected by the pandemic. Without this data collection, it would be impossible for partners and stakeholders to reach out to these youths who are most affected by the pandemic.”
The Chairman, Advisory Committee Board, Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19, Mr Uzo Ifeanyi, explained that the Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19 was a United Nations initiative under it’s Global Youth Compact programme.
He further explained that the Nigerian Chapter was inaugurated on June 2, as a youth structure in response to COVID-19.
Explaining further, he stated that the organisation would undertake advocacy, awareness creation and data generation, expressing optimism that the State Chapter will change the COVID-19 youth response process and how it affects the youths in Kaduna state.
His words, “Youths between the ages of 18 to 35 are most affected by the pandemic in Africa. Some have lost their jobs and other sources of livelihood as a result of COVID-19.”
“As part of efforts to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the youth, we have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian Youth Chambers of Commerce, to devise means of reducing the impending and future impacts of the pandemic on the youth.”
He continued, “The goal is to help youths access empowerment packages from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
Mrs Rhoda Gudapa, Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Nigerian Orientation Agency, stated that her agency (NOA) would embark on a campaign of creating awareness and sensitizing the public on the effects of COVID-19.
Her words, “We shall visit places of worship, market, roads, and map out strategies enlightening the public on the dangers of the pandemic so that they can protect themselves.”
“In some communities, rape has become a far worse pandemic than COVID-19, and there is a need to carry out measures to put an end to the menace.”
Rhoda tasked the new steering committee to deploy a strategy by partnering with the relevant agencies that will help them getting data of the affected persons, both in the rural and urban areas of the state.
Yusuf Andrawus, the new Steering Co-ordinator of the group in Kaduna state, expressed the readiness of his team to immediately commence the awareness campaign task by using the local dialects of the communities.
He also hinted that his team would explore other avenues that would make it possible for them to reach the rural and urban residents, to gather relevant COVID-19 related data and responses from the youths.
