INVOLVE YOUTHS IN BUDGET PROCESSES—ACTIVISTS TELL GOVT

REPORTER:CHRISTIAN NWANGENE

Some Nigerians have canvassed the involvement of youths in preparation, development and implementation of budgets in the country as such processes are essential towards addressing the aspirations of Nigerian youths.

The respondents also argue that the expectations of young people are often neglected due to failure by those in government to adequately engage the right people in the limited opportunities open to youths to be part of decision making.

According to the respondents, mainstreaming the youths into governance and ensuring their input in critical national decisions, such as budget preparation and implementation, is one of the ways to check unemploymen It, insecurity and misplacement of priorities.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, youths constitute over 60% of Nigeria’s population, yet it appears the opinions of this critical segment of the population are hardly considered by the government when developing policies that affect them, especially in budgetary allocations.

While the political leaders have consistently maintained that young people are carried along in the scheme of things, there are consensus views that the representation of youths are sometimes lacking or inadequate.

One of the respondents, an activist, and Founder, LEAD Network Africa, Mr. Chukwuma Ephraim Okenwa, is of the view that government often fills up opportunities meant for youths based on political patronage instead of capacity.

Mr. Okenwa, argues that government has not demonstrated the willingness to engage the right people, alleging that government rather engages those that will not interrogate the narrative.

“So when you want to go for those that will truly represent the interest of the people, you have to start from the bottom-top approach, get the young person at the streets, know his aspirations, his challenges and then with that, you can know how to factor in a programme.

“So we want to see a clear demonstration of direction that when they are voting you in, you understood their challenges and ready to demonstrate that via your policy trust,” he said.

Mr. Okenwa says no country can achieve good governance without having the right people in place to push through with government policies successfully.

Also speaking on involving the youths in the budget processes, a gender activist, Mrs. Onyinye Mamah, notes that budgeting process can not be said to be appropriate and well fixed if it is not with full stakeholder consultation.

“If you say you have done a budget for the youths and the representation of the youth is just but a minute portion of the youth.

“Let say we’ve NYCN, NYAN, we’ve youth in the street, we’ve youths in the municipal, we’ve youths in the church, you must try to get the relevant heads of those councils, at that time you’ve said, I’ve done a stakeholder consultation and it will be well recognized.

“But a situation where it is just a pick point of people, they go to select people they know will never talk against them, it is not wholesome,” she argued.

Mrs. Mamah is of view that the voice of the young people needs to be heard to meet their concerns, needs and aspirations.

To what level did Enugu State Government involve youths in its budgeting process?

The Enugu State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. David Ugwunta, claims that government through its citizens engagement policy, ensures that every segment of the society is carried along in crafting plans and budget for the State.

“Enugu State Government does what we call citizens engagement, the idea is that, you include everybody in crafting plans and budget for the state and when we come to such function, question will be asked: what do you want to see in the budget?

“So we can’t be doing citizens engagement and then someone is saying that they’re not carried along,” the Commissioner insisted.

Dr. Ugwunta, advocates what he calls co-creation of ideas, policies, projects, programmes with government agencies, especially those that would come up in the budget as part of solutions to address complaints of non-inclusion of young people in budgeting.

Another activist, Mr. Ikenna Ugwu, calls for increased sensitization of youths to projects and opportunities created by government for their well-being while ensuring transparency in the process of implementation is very important.

Mr. Ugwu, canvassed sustained engagement of the youths by government, emphasizing that if young people are adequately engaged, insecurity and other crimes will be reduced in the country.