Nigeria is set to deepen its collaboration with the United Nations to advance sustainable empowerment initiatives targeting women and youth, Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said.
Shettima made this known while receiving a UN delegation led by Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier, during a courtesy visit to the State House in Abuja.
He said the renewed partnership would focus on critical areas such as financial inclusion, skills development, job creation, and peacebuilding, key pillars for inclusive and sustainable development.
According to the vice-president, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recognises the role of young people as drivers of economic growth and social transformation, stressing that they must be positioned at the centre of national development strategies.
“The youths are the backbone of every society’s transformation,” Shettima said, adding that government policies are geared towards converting Nigeria’s growing youth population into a “demographic dividend” through targeted investments and inclusive policies.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to gender equality and youth empowerment, noting that stronger institutional frameworks would be developed in partnership with the UN and other stakeholders to deliver measurable outcomes.
Earlier, Paullier described Nigeria as a vibrant country with a youthful population central to its development trajectory. He noted that his visit, his first to Nigeria, underscores the country’s strategic importance in advancing global youth development priorities.
He referenced the establishment of a UN office in 2022 to strengthen support for young people worldwide, particularly in areas such as human rights protection, education, and skills development.
Paullier said the UN delegation was in Nigeria to support the Federal Government’s development agenda and reinforce ongoing efforts by UN agencies in the country.
He added that sustained progress would depend on integrating young people into decision-making processes, alongside promoting gender equality and expanding access to education and employment opportunities, key enablers of sustainable development.
