Nigerian House of Representatives to Hold Biannual Dialogue with Youth to Address Plight
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has announced that the Green Chamber will hold a biannual dialogue with the Nigerian youth to hear their concerns and work together to address them. This decision follows an unprecedented town hall meeting with various youth groups and organizations from across the country, held at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
In the meeting, the Speaker pledged that the House would give four slots of Senior Legislative Aides to the various youth groups to serve as a link between the House and the Nigerian youth. Abbas also promised to take all the issues raised by the youth groups to President Bola Tinubu for consideration and possible resolution.
The town hall meeting was supported by Yiaga Africa, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and the European Union, and had in attendance leaders and members of several national youth-based civil society, socio-cultural, politics and academic groups. The representatives of the youth groups had the opportunity to ventilate their views regarding their plight, calling for urgent action on the part of the government.
In his keynote address, Speaker Abbas emphasized the importance of the government listening to the voices of the Nigerian youth, stating that "your voice matters, and we are listening." He emphasized the need for a formal avenue of regular engagement to ensure that the voices of the youth are heard at the highest levels of government.
Abbas also urged the youth to actively participate in the democratic process, work through the National Assembly, and push for reforms. He pointed out that addressing economic hardship is a priority for the current administration, and that the government understood the economic challenges and was already implementing specific interventions.
The Speaker’s comments have been met with enthusiasm by many Nigerian youth, who have been calling for more representation and engagement with the government. Many have expressed hope that the new dialogue will lead to meaningful reforms and improvement in their living conditions.
Keyword: Nigerian House of Representatives, Dialogue with Youth, Abbas Tajudeen, President Bola Tinubu, Economic Hardship
