Towards implementing National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security

After the adoption of UNSCR 2250 on YPS in 2015, nations have been domesticating the action plan in order to effectively institutionalize and operationalize the agenda. Nigeria was the first African nation to announce its development of national action plans on this thematic area. It was based on this that Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development in partnership with The Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security organized A One-Day- Pre-Dissemination and Sensitization Workshop on the Implementation of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security in Abuja, Ochiaka Ugwu was there and writes 

The Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (NCYPS) is a multi-stakeholder and intergenerational space co-chaired by representatives of the federal government, civil society, and youth groups. Its main objective was to coordinate and implement the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in Nigeria, including the domestication of UNSCR 2250, and the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security, adopted in November 2021.

As part of its resolve to achieve these set objectives by strengthening the engagements, the coalition partnered with the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development to deepen sensitization and dissemination on the implementation of the action plan.

Speaking during the event, the Minister of Youth & Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare said that Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Nigeria Coalition on Youth Peace and Security (NCYPS) have engaged stakeholders to develop and launch a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security that is anchored on the five pillars of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on Youth Peace and Security.

Dare represented by a senior Director in the Ministry, Mr. Abumere Sunday Akindenor said that in a bid to localize UNSCR 2250 in Nigeria, the Ministry in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA), and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) – Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the UNSCR 2250 in Abuja in October, 2016 to bring attention to the issues of Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) — marking a renewed focus on the YPS agenda in Nigeria.

He said the outcome of the launch was the establishment of a National Working Group on Youth Peace and Security (NWG-YPS) which later became the Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, when the UN Interagency Working Group on Youth and Peacebuilding metamorphosed into the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security.

Dare said that another outcome of the launch of the UNSCR 2250 in Nigeria and the subsequent 2017 National Consultative Conference on Youth, Peace and Security was the call by stakeholders to develop a NNAP-YPS, saying the process to develop a NNAP-YPS was robust including nine in-person ‘consultations with young people and other stakeholders in the form of national conferences, zonal workshops, national validation meetings, and community level focus group discussions to bring together youth groups, civil society, government, security agencies, the media, traditional and us institutions from communities across the 36 states of the federation and the  Federal Capital Territory.

Continuing, he said inputs were also received through over one dozen online consultations and meetings with several youth and civil society organizations as well as the AU through its Youth for Peace (Africa) Program sent in written inputs.

He said consultations were preceded by a desk review, development of structured instruments, pre-test and validation of the instruments before use, showing that the NNAP-YPS was subjected to an affirmation meeting on the 27 of August, 2021 before its Official launch on November 1 2021.

Dare said the Youth, Peace and Security agenda in Nigeria has the Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, its co-Chairs, the Steering Committee with the support of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development leading its implementation.

He stated The NNAP-YPS (2021 — 2024) which was developed to reflect and build upon the five pillars of the UNSCR 2250 was now in its pilot phase of implementation.

He informed that Adamawa Abuja, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo and Plateau states have been chosen as pilot states to measure impact and collect data that will guide scaling full implementation to other states.

While restating that participants were here to create awareness on the NNAP-YPS document and to map the stakeholders that need to be engage to implement the NNAP-YPS in Abuja, he expressed optimism that implementation of the NNAP-YPS will open positive and sustainable opportunities for young people, including the space to express their talents and contribute to lasting peace and development of our great nation, Nigeria.

Dare concluded by calling on the FCT Administration, civil society and youth groups, community, traditional and religious leaders, security agencies and the media to support them in their bold step to giving opportunities to the youth to express their talents and creativities  leading to lasting peace and development of the FCT and the nation.

Also speaking, Director, Network and Social Mobilization of Ministry of Youth & Sports Development, Hajiya Amina represented by Mrs Lami Bature noted that the Action Plan which was developed as a road map to the implementation of the Youth Peace and Security in Nigeria was launched by the Minister in November, 2021; while the states of Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta, Oyo and FCT were selected for the pre-dissemination as pilot states, the exercise which has been successfully carried out in Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta and Oyo States, was today rounding up pilot states’ implementation here in the Federal Capital

She encouraged all not to relent on their oars, as they have resolved that all hands must be on deck to ensure successful implementation of the National Action Plan on Youth Peace and Security, not just here in the FCT, but also throughout all the states of the federation, as the Coalition moves to the second phase of the implementation exercise.

Theophilus Ekpon, Co-Chair/ Technical Lead of Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security while making presentation on “The National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security” named the five pillars as Participation, Protection, Prevention, Partnerships and Reintegration and Rehabilitation.

He said the progress made included: Launch of NAP YPS, Development of an implementation plan, Pilot states focus, Strengthening the Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (NCYPS), UN serving as the Managing Agent for the implementation of the NAP YPS and the YPS agenda and Proposals for a YPS National Steering Committee, and a Technical Committee.

The event was attended by the representatives of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Civil Defense & Secuirty Corps (NCDSC), Civil Society Groups and other relevant stakeholders.