By: Femi Mustapha
On October 29, 2025, a team from the Youth Advocacy Campaign for Accelerating the Implementation of the Kaduna State Demographic Dividends Roadmap, supported by the Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation and the Lafiya Programme, paid a courtesy visit to Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, the Honorable Commissioner of the Ministry of Youth Development in Kaduna State.
The primary goal of the visit was to present the letter of nomination and appointment as the Kaduna State Demographic Dividends Champion and to secure the Commissioner’s commitment to collaborate with the Youth Advocacy Campaign in implementing the Roadmap.
This information was shared in a communiqué signed by Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini, Co-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Technical Working Group on Strengthening the Social Protection System; Christopher Atsen, Coordinator of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Kaduna; Hassan John, Speaker of the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN) in Kaduna; Aaron Samiala Ayuba, President of the Association of Students with Disabilities at Kaduna State University (KASU); Benjamin Sheyin, Member of the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub; and Shim Kajang from the Civic Impact for Sustainable Development Foundation.
The communiqué indicated that the meeting, which included representatives from various youth organizations such as the OGP TWG on Strengthening Social Protection System, YALI, YAN, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), the OpenGov Youth Innovation Hub, Lifelyne Creative Company, and the Society for Equitable Development Foundation (SED), was productive.
The Youth Advocacy Campaign team expressed sincere gratitude to the Honorable Commissioner for her steadfast commitment to youth development and empowerment in Kaduna State.
During the meeting, the team made several advocacy requests, including a partnership with the Advocacy Group to raise public awareness about the demographic dividends report, taking on the role of Secretariat for coordinating the implementation of the Roadmap, and leading the development of an implementation plan along with a monitoring and evaluation framework.
The Honorable Commissioner, Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, warmly welcomed the advocacy team and reiterated the Kaduna State Government’s commitment to youth development, empowerment, and participation.
The meeting resulted in several key resolutions, including scheduling a technical session to educate the Ministry of Youth Development staff about the Demographic Dividends Roadmap, developing a joint work plan, and exploring collaboration with media organizations to promote awareness and publicize achievements.
The partnership aims to institutionalize the demographic dividends agenda within the state’s youth policies and annual budget processes.
“We are thrilled to have secured the partnership of the Ministry of Youth Development to drive the implementation of the Demographic Dividends Roadmap. We believe that this partnership will significantly empower the youth and promote economic development in Kaduna State,” stated Sumayya Abdullahi Hussaini, Co-chair of the OGP Technical Working Group.
“We are eager to work with the Ministry of Youth Development and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Demographic Dividends Roadmap. This is a crucial step towards harnessing the demographic dividend and fostering economic growth and development in Kaduna State,” added Christopher Atsen, Coordinator of YALI Kaduna.
