The Kaduna State Government on Monday said it was harnessing the potentialities of the youths for sustainable development.
Malam Salisu Lawal, the Director, Development Aid Coordination, Planning and Budget Commission, made this known in Kaduna at the Validation of the state’s draft Demographic Dividend (DD) Report and Roadmap.
He explained that the report was developed with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), to create a framework for harnessing the potentials of the state’s youth population.
He pointed out that the population of a society, its composition and dynamics were very critical for its existence and well-being, and determined the human resource available for growth and prosperity.
He explained that the objective of the meeting was to ensure that the data used in both documents reflect state context.
“The validation was also to ensure that the narrations and recommendations are consistent with the policy direction of the state government and promotes inclusive development,” he added.
Presenting the Demographic Dividend Roadmap, one of the consultants, Dr Noah Olasehinde, explained that it was developed based on peculiarity and situation analysis of the state.
Olasehinde said that the roadmap focused on good governance, accountability, economic empowerment, education, health and wellbeing, security, equity, and justice.
According to him, demographic dividends is the economic growth potential that results from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population was larger than the non-working-age.
“Therefore, demographic dividend is about the quality of human beings and represents the potential for productive activities that can come from a large proportion of the youth population.”
Another consultant, Prof. Lanre Olaniyan, who presented the Demographic Dividend Report, said the state’s population is young, with about 80 per cent less than 35 years old in 2017.
He said that a young population provides an opportunity for the state to adequately harness its human capital and launch the state into sustainable prosperity.
“The large proportion of youth population opens a window of opportunity for high production and consumption and the attendant economic growth that can emanate from it.
“Demographic Dividend is the window of opportunity that opens faster economic growth and development, because of falling fertility and mortality.
“This shifts the age structure of a population in favour of a larger working–age group and less dependent population.
“However, deliberate efforts and policy enactments are required to accompany the demographic transition and changes in the population structure with sustained investments in education, skills development, health, job creation and good governance,” he said.
Ms Mariama Darboe, the Head of UNFPA, Kaduna State Sub-office, said that the situation would change following the huge investment in health, education, infrastructure as well as youth and women empowerment.
Darboe said that the state has the capacity to harness its demographic dividends following the demonstrated political will to empower its young population. (NAN)
