Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has declared that for Nigeria to witness all-round economic development, youths and women must be adequately captured in the nation’s budgetary allocations.
The governor who stated this while speaking at the Ekiti State Women and Youth Policy Dialogue noted that youths and women represented largest percentage of productive groups across all sectors in Nigeria.
The event with the theme, ‘ Youth, Women and Government Policy: Building Government/Civil Society Consensus for Budgetary Allocation’ was organized by New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative(NIGAWD) In conjunction with New Initiative for Social Development (NISD)
The Executive Directors of the two organisations, Abimbola Aladejare and Olamide Martins respectively said the event was designed to create awareness on the implementation of the Ekiti Youths Agenda by the current administration in Ekiti.
The event attended by the technical committee of EYA, also attracted top government functionaries, including the secretary to the state government, Biodun Oyebanji and commissioner for Youths and Sports, Agriculture and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Fayemi said, ” Youths and women represent the largest chunk of our productive groups in both formal and informal. For this reason, there can be no meaningful national growth if youths and women empowerment/development is not captured adequately into government policy through budgetary allocations.
” Identifying and addressing issues that would enhance the lives of the youths and women would improve overall national development. These groups constitute Nigeria’s only hope for a real prosperous future and they need to maximize their potentials.”
Participants at the forum through a communique released said the state ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has agreed to include Ekiti youths campaigns in the development of the 2020 budget process.
The communique reads, ” The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will remind all ministries to include recommendations of Ekiti Youth Agenda in the 2020 budget.
” The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will support the Ministry of Agriculture in the establishment of farm settlements as recommended by the Ekiti Youth Agenda.
” Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will support the building of access roads from the city to the farmsteads through Rural Access Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).”
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