By Goodluck Ikiebe
Nigeria has keyed into the Commonwealth Youth Students Summit, African Region 2023, with the approval of hosting the Summit in the country by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare, who disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, said that Nigeria’s acceptance to host the Summit is sequel
to the request by the Commonwealth Youth Programme and Commonwealth Students Association (a coalition of Student organizations within the Commonwealth) to create a forum for insightful engagement, where youth and students can learn from global leaders in Multinational Public and Private Organisations.
Dare said that the Summit with the theme; ‘Co-Creating Our Common Future: Leadership in the Digital Age in Africa’, “cannot be more appropriate than now, as we live in a digital world.
“It will help to position the young people from across Africa to promote their impact in the regional youth event discourse and dialogues. It will also create a forum for insightful engagement, where youth and students can learn from global leaders in Multinationals, Public and Private Organisations, Development Institutions, and Civil Society Organisations”, he added.
Mr Sunday Dare observed that the present and future success of the Commonwealth, as well as upholding its values, lies with the unwavering commitments and contributions of the students, adding that “the young people constitute more than half of Commonwealth’s population, which is estimated at 1.5 billion.
He stated further that Nigeria is glad to host the Summit as it provides a window of opportunities for the Youth to explore their talents, noting that already, “Youth Delegates across the World have started arriving Abuja for the summit.”
According to him,
“The Government of Nigeria through its Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, has finalized arrangements to receive delegates from 21 Commonwealth African Countries, who will be attending this year’s Commonwealth Youth and Students’ Summit (CYSS) for Africa Region from the 8th to 12th of this month.”
The Summit seeks to create an avenue where crucial conversations about strengthening and promoting the leadership capacity of youth and student leaders in the Commonwealth can be initiated and advanced with actionable outcomes, and with a prime focus on the role students and youth leaders should play.
He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration for accepting to host the Youth and Students Summit, Africa Region in Nigeria and called on the youths in the region to take advantage of the Summit to develop themselves in line with Digital Global Realities.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare open the 2023 Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit, African Region in Abuja on Tuesday, 9th May, 2023, following his approval of Nigeria to host the Summit.
The Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare, stated that the Summit is jointly organized by the Youth Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Youth Programme, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development of Nigeria.
He explained that the Summit is an international forum where young people interact with Heads of Government and make direct inputs into their commitment towards the development of the youth of their countries.
Dare therefore called on the youths to remain focused so as to derive maximum benefits from the Summit with a view to contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the African Region.
The Minister further stated that a total of 5,000 young people from 21 African Countries within the Commonwealth as well as Five (5) Heads of Government, Eleven (11) Ministers of Youth from selected African countries, and other notable leaders are expected at the Summit.
