By Dwelleth Morountodun
As part of efforts to ensure adequate preparation and successful hosting of the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit, African Region 2023, the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare has inaugurated a Task Force ahead of the event.
The Minister who inaugurated the Task Force in his office in Abuja said that the Summit is aimed at organizing a platform which will primarily target the youth as the main actors in the development agenda of the African Continent.
He stated that Nigeria’s acceptance to host the summit was sequel to the request by the Commonwealth Youth Programme and Commonwealth Students Association (a coalition of Student organizations within the Commonwealth) to create a forum for insightful engagement, where youth and students can learn from global leaders in multinational public and private organisations, among others.
The Summit with the theme; ‘Co-Creating Our Common Future: Leadership in the Digital Age in Africa’, Dare explained, “cannot be more appropriate than now, as we live in a digital world. It will help to position the young people from across Africa to promote their impact in the regional youth event discourse and dialogues. It will also create a forum for insightful engagement, where youth and students can learn from global leaders in Multinationals, Public and Private Organisations, Development Institutions, and Civil Society Organisations”
He observed that the present and future success of the Commonwealth, as well as upholding its values, lies with the unwavering commitments and contributions of the students. This, he said, “is large because the young people constitute more than half of Commonwealth’s population, which is estimated at 2.5 billion people”.
The Minister therefore charged the task force to bring their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring a hitch-free and successful Summit, stressing further that *”as we are all aware, the time is very short, you cannot afford to fail to deliver
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar stated that Nigeria is glad to host the Summit as it provides a window of opportunities for the Youth to explore their talents.
He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration for accepting to host the Youth and students’ summit, Africa Region in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary therefore called on youth in the region to take advantage of the Summit to develop themselves so as to be employable, enterpreneurial with a view to contributing to the socio-economic development of not only Nigeria but also the African Region.
Responding on behalf of the Task Force, the Coordinator, Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region, Mr. Marwan Umar Gwamba, thanked the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, the Top Management Staff of the Ministry and President Muhammadu Buhari in particular, for the privilege given them to serve in this capacity, assuring that they will work assiduously to ensure the success of the event.
The conference, which is scheduled to hold in Abuja from 8th-12th May 2023, is expected to host delegates from 21 African Countries, including the host country, Nigeria.
Signed: Mohammed Manga, Director, Press and Public Relations.
