Adesanya-Davies Congratulates FG on approval of 30% Youth Representation in Nigeria

Re: FG approves 30% youth representation in ALL government appointments

Ex-presidential Candidate, Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies has congratulated the President, the Federal government and the Nigerian youths on the approval of 30 percent youth representation in ALL government appointments in Nigeria, says “it’s highly commendable”.

In a report on March 26, 2024 , “The federal government has approved 30 percent youth representation in all government appointments.

Speaking on Monday after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, “Jamila Ibrahim, Minister of youth development, said the 30 percent quota will address issues of youth exclusion in decision-making processes in the country.

She said, “the council also approved the restructuring of the youth investment fund, adding that a technical committee has been established for its review.

“We have received council’s approval to institutionalise a 30% youth quota, representation of young people in all government appointments and equitable young women representation inclusive of this 30%,” she said.

“This will go a long way to address the long marginalisation and exclusion of young people in decision-making and it will also go a long way to encourage young people to participate in decision-making process and in civic engagement.

“This will in turn lead to young people contributing tremendously to the national development agenda.

“I am also pleased to announce the second council approval to restructure and institutionalise the Nigerian youth investment fund.

“This is a fund that was approved in 2020 and on assumption of office of this administration, we commissioned a technical committee to review the fund and restructure it with the aim of institutionalising it through a legal framework which will lead to the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Fund.”

Adesanya-Davies said this has been long clamoured for and should not in anyway be overlooked but appreciated as well as celebrated in the nation.

However, she said, “the case of female gender inclusion would urgently need be treated equally with similar action and concession, without any further delay, quoting that, “Women representation declining across all tiers of government,” according to the report of
NBS:

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says women representation continues to decline across all tiers of government in Nigeria.

The bureau, in a report released on Tuesday, said female participation in politics and decision-making remains low.

The NBS said women have never been appointed as secretary to the government of the federation despite constituting almost half of the country’s population.

The report said since independence and the return to democracy in 1999, women have never been elected as president or vice-president.

In 2016 and 2017, a total of six women and 73 men occupied principal positions in the senate, while from 2007 to 2011, women recorded 7.2 percent representation in the national assembly which is the highest figure so far.

“It was 6.6 percent each in 2011 – 2015 and 2015 – 2019,” the NBS said.

“The years 2018 and 2019 have the same figure of seven women and 72 men as principal officers.

“Only nine women out of 106 members of the house of representatives occupied principal positions in 2019.”

About six females got the position of committee chairperson in 2016 and 2019, while only one woman occupied the position of minority senate leader in 2018 and 2019.

In 2019, women had 6.2 percent representation in the national assembly, while men occupied 93.8 percent of the positions.

“Female ministers appointed in 2018 were six and in 2019, only seven were among the 43 appointed ministers,” the NBS added.

In 2016 and 2017, women made up 31.87 and 31.98 percent of national judicial officers but the figure declined to 28.86 percent in 2018.

The report said women don’t make it to the top judiciary roles, adding that a female has never been the president of the national industrial court, chief justice of Nigeria, and chief registrar of the supreme court from 2016 to 2018.

“Therefore, it is high time the women folks are equally compensated as their votes always count and no society can be at it’s best if the energy of the women is not well directed and optimised,” Adesanya-Davies concludes.

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