By Olatunji Omirin, Maiduguri

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has charged the leaders to ensure youths in the Northeastare not lagging behind in major economic, political, and governance decisions within the region.

Addressing journalists at the 3rd edition of the Northeast Youth in Crisis conference in Maiduguri, the Localisation Adviser with UNOCHA, Christopher Agutu, called for a collaborative approach between the government and youths to enable productive dialogues.

According to him, the Nigerian youthful population presents advantages that, if harnessed,will enhance self-reliance and national growth.

He said, “In the Northeast, one thing we feel needs to be addressed is the fact that youths have been missing from the discussion table. They are not sitting at the table where people are discussing and making decisions. They need to be carried along, understand what the government expects from them and also explain to the government and other stakeholders what they need.

“When we look at the technology that exists, and you look at the numbers of youths in Nigeria and the whole of Africa, we have about 103 million adolescents in Nigeria. They are the biggest users of these modern technologies, whether in social media platforms or whatever. The youths with their skills can be taken advantage of by making sure that we harness the understanding of how they can use that technology to benefit themselves.

“The fact is they need to be supported and guided in terms of getting government support and introducing them to people who can also harness the skills for them,” added

He, however, called on youths to engage in constructive advocacy, rooted in respect and critical reasoning.

“Advocacy is not about fighting physically or saying, ‘This is the table; you must get a seat for me.’ Rather, it is about engaging, sharing your ideas with the people who are already on the table so that they understand what your needs are, what your advocacy efforts will lead to,” he said.

He emphasised that “we need to engage with respect. Disorganisation or being too aggressive is not the best way to advocate, but present your ideas and tell them your vision. For instance, highlight how your plans will contribute to nation building.”

“Share ideas that people can understand. And when you are also talking to people on the other side, be respectful in terms of engagement. Don’t just say, It is my right; those people also have a right. Therefore, we need to be creative and strategic in terms of engagement,” he advised.

Christopher further cautioned youths against denying themselves access to opportunities, adding that every advocacy must be followed with action.

“Another thing is, it is not just for them to come out and say they want income or employment and then go back home. As a youth, you must apply for the job. Don’t just make noise from home, and when they say come, you are nowhere to be found. In fact, there are times you will not be invited to some places; you just have to go. Take yourself there. Don’t wait until the governor calls you,” he stressed.

Also speaking, the Programme Specialist for Humanitarian Residents, ActionAid in Nigeria, David Habba, explained that the conference was aimed at raising awareness of the need to involve youths in the Northeastin the region’s humanitarian landscape.

“At ActionAid, we are very concerned about how young people are engaged and what they are doing.

“The future of the world is locked up inside the lives of young people. If we do not mobilise or support them, it simply means there is no future for our race,” he stated.

At the conference, he said that it is an annual programme of ActionAid: “ActionAid conveys this conference every year for young people in the Northeast. But this year, the conversation is around “Reset”. From 2026 going forward, the humanitarian architecture, funding, and coordination will change, and what we see at the moment is that the conversation does not include young people.

“They are not making a contribution into that space. They are not brought to the table. So we are saying that if you are planning for young people and they are not at the table, then who are you planning for?

“So this year, we are saying there should be no reset of the humanitarian space without involving the young people. They have to be at the centre and determine what the next ten and twenty years of humanitarian space will be,” he stated.

One of the participants, David Joy, expressed appreciation to the organisation, describing the event as an eye-opener to how youths can demand their rights constructively and through dialogue.