#IYD2016: “The government belongs to you” – Read President Buhari’s Letter to Nigerian Youths on International Youth Day 2016

The International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

The theme of the 2016 International Youth Day is “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production”.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his letter to the Nigerian Youth said that the government it committed to improving the quality of life of the youths and create opportunities for them to achieve their goals.

Dear Nigerian Youths,

Today is International Youth Day.

I am delighted to commemorate this occasion, the second such celebration since I took office.

The roles that young Nigerians played in the historic election that brought our government to power will never be forgotten. The government belongs to you.

I would like to use this opportunity to assure you of our commitment to improve the quality of your lives and to create opportunities for you to achieve your dreams and ambitions.

We are mindful of the fact that Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world. Those young people are immensely energetic and talented, consistently blazing the trail in the arts, sports, business and technology. We are proud of what you have done and what you are able to do.

We have launched a number of initiatives targeted at expanding the economic opportunities available to young Nigerians. N-Power, our job creation scheme for which applications are on-going, will employ 500,000 of you in agriculture, education, healthcare, and technology.

The Aso Villa Demo Day will soon bring 30 of the most innovative young Nigerians to the State House to showcase their talent in prowling technology -based solutions to some of our most challenging problems.

The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), part of our 500 billion Naira Social Investment Programme, will provide soft loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country.

These are just some of the many initiatives we have designed and are implementing for you.

You are the strength and future of our country. Please be assured that this administration will create an enabling environment for you to realize your potentials.

Thank You.

This year’s Day is about achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It focuses on the leading role of young people in ensuring poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development through sustainable consumption and production.

The United Nations General Assembly on December 17 1999, in its resolution 54/120, endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that August 12th be declared International Youth Day.

The first IYD was observed on August 12, 2000.