Civic engagement: LEAP Africa doles out N958.8m to youth organisations

The LEAP Africa, a youth-focused leadership development organisation, has commenced the disbursement of $1.2 million (N958.8 million) to 170 youth organisations to promote youth participation in governance.

The grant, offered through LEAP’s youth engagement and advocacy programme, Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), was to strengthen youth leadership through policy engagements and inclusive resources.

NYFF was supported by the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Luminate Group.

Speaking at the unveiling of the grant in Abuja on Monday, LEAP Africa’s Executive Director, Kehinde Ayeni, said the fund would be disbursed over the next 12 months.

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Ayeni said, “We have seen how young people are speaking up on issues of policies and programmes.

“We are asking for more visibility and opportunities for young people, and we believe that this grant that we are giving will facilitate good governance further in Nigerian society.”

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said the various committees of the federal parliament would further scrutinise the budgets of government agencies to ensure adequate provisions for the youth in the 2024 Budget.

He expressed the commitment of the National Assembly to ensuring a better future for the Nigerian youths.

He said, “The youth should take the centre stage in any plan that we have either economically or socially as a nation.

“That is why we are keen on knowing what the executive arm of government has done to be able to make this come to fruition.”

Kalu urged the youth not to relent in their quest to achieve a transformative change.

The Country Director for Nigeria at DAI, an international development company, Dr Joe Abah, said the high cost of running for political offices in the country was preventing the youth from contesting.

He, therefore, urged political parties to slash the price of nomination forms to encourage more youth participation in politics.