NGOs: African countries need youths to achieve SDGs

Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) focused on development have emphasised the importance of African youths in the continent’s journey towards actualising the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

These organisations are LEAP Africa, Youth Engagement of Office of African Union, Lagos Food Bank, Donors For Africa, Nigerian Network of NGOs, etc.

They stated this at a press conference organised by LEAP Africa in Lagos, ahead of the youth day of service (YDOS).

The YDOS, an annual event that celebrates youth creativity and energy towards actualising the UN SDGs, is a week-long event from August 12 to 18, 2021, commemorating the International Youth Day celebration.

This year’s campaign theme is ‘Youthful and Useful,’ with the scope expanded beyond Nigeria to several African countries.

Speaking at the conference, Femi Taiwo, executive director of LEAP Africa, said with less than a decade in the UN SDGs schedule, Africa must harness the power of its youths to achieve the laid down objectives.

He then asked volunteers to visit the organisation’s website to indicate their intention to start a new project or to join other existing projects on the platform.

“We are excited to have to share the information about the Youth Day of Service, and we believe strongly that with just less than a decade to the year 2030 — the year that the whole world has set as a time to achieve sustainable development goals,” he said.

“We believe that we need all heads, hands, parts if we are going to achieve and do so much more within this decade of our schedule. And we know, like everyone will allude to, that if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the sustainable development of Africa, we need to deploy Africa’s greatest resource — Our youths. To champion projects but to champion change consistently and sustainably, and engage very actively in social change.”

On her part, Olamide Sopein, communication associate at the Nigerian Network of NGOs, added that the involvement of youths in projects provides more inclusion and sustainability to the objectives.

“When we support the youths, they are able to get more inclusion and sustainability because that’s what theme and subject should be about. More volunteerism from the youth will be able to more social change whenever they are in their community.”