Hajia Yar'Adua Calls For
Human Capital Development
The Nigerian First Lady,
Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua, has said that there would be no
meaningful development without proper investment in young
people.
Yar'Adua made the observation at the opening of an International
Conference on Young People's Health and Development on Monday in
Abuja,Nigeria’s capital.
She said ``without proper development of young people, there
will be no future development anywhere.''
She added that ``the youth that will effectively deliver on the
future is one that has been adequately prepared for the future,
one in whom the society has sufficiently invested in, to ensure
maximal development and provide relevant opportunities to
optimise his potentials.''
Yar'Adua who was represented at the conference by the Minister
of Health, Dr Hassan Lawal, said there was an urgent need to
optimise investment in youth development through evidence based
policies and programmes.
She suggested massive investment in the youths as one of the
strategies of promoting positive development amongst them.
She added that ``nations and societies need to massively and
strategically invest in young people's development more than
ever before.''
Earlier, the National Chairman of the conference steering
committee, Professor Oladosu Ojengbede, said the conference was
a unique gathering of researchers and policy makers
He said they would freely share knowledge that would promote and
prepare the youth
for new world.
Ojengbede said youths formed 40 per cent of Nigeria's population
and therefore ``can not be neglected by any responsible
government .''
In a presentation, Elizabeth Lule of the World Bank said the
current global youth bulge provided an unprecedented opportunity
to take advantage of the largest pool of children and youth in
record history.
The two-day conference which attracted participants from 37
countries, is expected to avail policy makers, youths and
researchers the opportunity of addressing the mirage of health
problems confronting the youths.
NAN/MICHAEL
