The Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in partnership with the University of Abuja and Nigeria Youth Workers Association, will host a national workshop to drive the professionalisation of youth development in Nigeria.
The co-chairman of the national organising committee, Mr Tayo Olosunde, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
Mr Olosunde said the workshop, themed “The Nexus Between Professionalisation and the Youth Demographic Dividend,” would hold from Monday, June 23 with the arrival of stakeholders, while the opening session starts Tuesday, June 24 to Thursday, June 26, at the University of Abuja.
According to him, the workshop is anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“It is designed to build national consensus on recognising and regulating youth work as a distinct professional field,” he said.
Mr Olosunde explained that the workshop would serve as a validation platform for key policy frameworks that seek to transform youth development from a voluntary or ad hoc engagement into a structured and ethically guided profession. This he said will lead to the flagship of Post Graduate Diploma, Masters and Doctorate in Youth Development Work in the University of Abuja.
He said the event would bring together a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, academics, civil society actors, and youth development practitioners who would collectively shape a national framework for youth work practice.
“The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, will serve as the Chief Host, while the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Patricia Lar, will host the gathering.
“The keynote address would be delivered by Professor Tunji Olaopa, a renowned public administration scholar and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission.
“Also expected at the workshop is Mr Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy Development at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, who will serve as the Special Guest of Honour.
“Rep. Martins Esin, Chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development, Federal House of Representatives, is billed to attend as Guest of Honour,” he added.
Mr Olosunde stressed that the workshop was a critical step toward creating a policy-driven, sustainable framework for youth development service delivery in the country.
He added that the outcomes would enhance the credibility of youth-focused initiatives, promote standardised training, ethical practices, and align Nigeria’s youth strategy with global development goals.
(NAN)