From Femi Mustapha, in. Kaduna
In a bold step toward institutionalizing youth participation in governance, stakeholders in Kaduna State have convened a validation meeting for the Kaduna Youth Engagement Power Plan, a strategic blueprint designed to mainstream youth involvement in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and broader State governance processes.
The event, which was held in Kaduna, Wednesday, was organised by the Open Government Innovation Hub and supported by Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The engagement brought together youth leaders, civil society actors, government representatives, and development partners to formally validate a plan developed a month ago.
The initiative aimed to ensure that youth inclusion is not merely symbolic, but a permanent and structured component of decision-making at the subnational level.
The Executive Director of Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation, Yusuf Goje emphasized the transformative nature of the plan, stating that the checklist within the document will guide both government and civil society to embed youth participation in policy-making, budgeting, and service delivery.
“We are not talking about youth participation as a token gesture. This is about recognizing young people as equal stakeholders in the governance of Kaduna State. This initiative draws from the OGP Youth Collective’s global recommendations and positions Kaduna as a pioneer among subnationals worldwide”.
Goje further stressed that the youth demographic in Kaduna cannot be ignored, citing data from the General Household Survey and other sources which show that the majority of the state’s population is under the age of 40.
“If government is about the people, then every policy, program, and service must address the specific needs of young people”.
Acting Lead of the Open Government Innovation Hub, Asmau Sagir highlighted the participatory nature of the plan’s development.
“Today’s meeting is about validating a document developed by the youth themselves on May 1.
The youth want to be stakeholders, not just beneficiaries of development in Kaduna. We aim to ensure inclusiveness and that young people contribute meaningfully to governance”.
The Civil Society Co-chair of OGP, Mubarak Abdulganiyi, described the power plan as a “dream come true.”
He added that the document will open new doors for youth participation in governance and empower them to sit at decision-making tables, he said.
Lead Capacity Building and Training, Sarah Garba Fadason, emphasized the critical role of the Youth Engagement Plan in fostering inclusive development and meaningful participation.
Fadason noted that the plan is not merely symbolic, but a practical step towards empowering the next generation to take ownership of their communities and country.
