Why youths’ involvement is key towards actualisation of sustainable development goals — Group

A non-profit environmental advocacy group, Eco Diversified International, has harped on the importance of involving youths in the actualisation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.

The group urged the nation’s youths to forge a common front that will ensure increased youth participation and inclusiveness in the efforts to actualise SDGs in the country. 

This assertion was made by founder of the organisation, Esther Oluwatoyin, while speaking at a seminar with the theme: “Youth Involvement in the Actualisation of SDGs,” which was held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. 

While noting that the event provided a platform for young people to share ideas and navigate ways around SDGs, she stressed the need to encourage and engage the youth to be at the forefront of implementing the SDGs in Nigeria.

According to her, “the challenges that our world faces are no longer distant concerns, they are pressing issues that require collective attention and action.

“The seventeen guiding lights on the path to a better world serve as our roadmap to address these challenges by 2030. And who is better to carry this torch forward than the energetic, creative, and determined youths of today.

“As we stand on the brink of transformation, it is evident that meaningful progress can only be achieved through collaboration across generations, sectors, and borders.

“This event is a testament to our unwavering commitment to facilitating this collaboration, and to fostering an environment where our young leaders can harness their potential to drive positive change.” 

Also speaking at the event, Vice President of the group, Ayooluwa Ogunsola, noted that youth involvement would help avert the threats and challenges to sustainable development, including the impacts of climate change, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and migration. 

He added that the youth must speak with one voice and align towards achieving the goals, noting that more efforts must be concentrated on educating youths on the SDGs. 

A youth development advocate, Abeeb Whyte, however, stressed that stakeholders must be held accountable by the development actors, fulfilling the promises of the SDGs, and emergency responsiveness must be a course. 

In her own presentation, a social development practitioner, Deborah Adewale, submitted that there is the need to harness young people’s drive, creativity, and skills to contribute to sustainable development goals.

Adewale added that young people and women are critical for shaping the future of our world, hence it is essential they are in the driving seat of the sustainable development goals. 

A former Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Special Duties and SDGs, Damilola Otubanjo, called for the integration of the sustainable development goals in the curriculum of students in schools. 

She also advocated the localisation of the goals at the grassroots level, reiterating that the SDGs need to be integrated into our cultural values and traditions for easy implementation. 

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