Press Release

The British Council in collaboration with Youngstars Development Initiative organized a successful Nigeria Stakeholders’ Forum from 18^th – 21^st March, 2008, at Grace Point Hotel, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, to have an interactive discourse on the 7 Point Agenda of President Umaru Musa Yar’ adua and Policy Implementation and Development Financing.

The forum which was the climax of the earlier one month online discourse tagged e-forum, had more than 40 youth with passionate interest drawn across the 36 states of the federation and the F.C.T for youth participation in good governance.

The forum provided a viable platform for Nigeria youth to exhaustively discuss the subject matter and provide a workable document with viable recommendations or suggestions that will and in the effective execution of the 7 point agenda.

The forum commenced with an opening ceremony graced by the representative of the minister of youth development, the representative of the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives and the secretary to the government of the federation. In addition to the discourse, among the youths, some resource persons lectured the youths on various topics, which include:

1. UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF ACTIVE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE AS EMERGING LEADERS (BY KINGSLEY BANGWELL-JOS)

2. POLICY MAKING, YOUTH INVOLVEMENT, ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING: PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR ENGAGEMENT (BY PAMELA BRAIDE-CALABAR)

3. PRACTICAL TOOLS & SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ON POLICY AND GOVERNANCE.

4. STRATEGIES FOR CULTIVATING EFFECTIVE MEDIA AND YOUTH PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTION.

Also service groups emerged during the forum and showcased their talents which indeed contributed to the success and added colour to the programme