The Niger State Ministry of Lands and Survey, in collaboration with the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE), has celebrated the 2024 World Habitat Day with an interactive session with relevant stakeholders and partners.
In his address during the event held at the conference hall of the Niger State Geographic Information System (NIGIS), the State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Barr. Maurice Bello Magaji, disclosed that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in December 1985 set aside the first Monday of the month of October every year as World Habitat Day.
He said the day was to reflect on the state of human settlements and basic rights to adequate shelter for all, which was intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat.
The Commissioner explained that this year’s theme, “Engaging youths to create a better urban future,” aims to address the challenges and opportunities of rapid urbanisation by focussing on the active involvement of youths in shaping sustainable cities and communities.
He further observed that it was a common saying but very significant that the youths are the future, and as such, planning alongside the youths is planning their future, emphasising that his ministry will involve the youths in whatever they do as regards urban planning in the state.
The Commissioner added that when the youths are involved in planning things related to them, they will better appreciate it, cooperate, and key into it.
“Significantly, we know that these are the people we want to hand over the societies, communities, and world entirely, just the way we have inherited too. So, we want sustainable utilisation of our environment through proper planning alongside the youths,” said the commissioner.
In his contribution, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Dr. Nuhu Garba Ngaski, appreciated the United Nations for crafting the theme for this year’s World Habitat Day celebration to focus on engaging the youths for a better urban future.
He observed that the youths in all ramifications were the social drivers and that what they need principally is recognition and engagement, adding that engaging them will bring about sustainable and environmentally friendly cities we are yearning for.Dr. Nuhu Ngaski stressed that for the United Nations to take a lead in recognising the youths and cascading it down to society, they too will do the same to have a responsive social environment.
He equally appreciated RCE Minna for initiating a move through its TSIRA Initiative that saw some youths who were actively involved in youth reactiveness and thuggery repenting and turning a new leaf, calling on well-meaning individuals to support what RCE Minna is doing, and also promised that the ministry will collaborate with RCE Minna to engage youths in the state through sensitisation.
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Land and Survey, who is also the Coordinator of RCE Minna, Dr Abdul Hussaini, said that based on what RCE Minna had done with the youths in the past on the issue of youths’ reactiveness in Minna and its environs, they saw the need to partner with the state ministry of land to celebrate the day, whose theme focusses on engaging the youths.
He noted that the just concluded UN general assembly in September signed a resolution called “Pact for the Future” and that there is “Africa Agenda 2063,” saying all these cannot be realised without having very focused and peaceful youths.
He added that bringing some of the youths who represented youths’ reactiveness to participate in the interactive session was to show them that they are very important and would continue to work with them to get the kind of peace we want in not just Minna but the entire state.
Meanwhile, some of the participants who made valid contributions at the 2024 World Habitat Day Celebration interactive session include officials of New Niger, the Niger State Urban Development Board (NUDB), NIGIS, the RCE Minna youths wing, and some repentant thugs, among other participants.
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