Leader of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has assured that, the National Assembly would give priority to a Bill for an Act to establish National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), when presented in the year 2018.

This, he said, would be a needed effort to addressing increasing unemployment in the country and for national integration.

Lawan disclosed this on Wednesday, at a meeting of the National Youth Council of Nigeria in Abuja.

He said when passed, the bill would give legal backing to the existing NYCN, urging the body to quickly submit necessary documents for the takeoff of the bill.

The Senate Leader also called on state Houses of Assembly to urgently pass the ‘Not too Young to Run Bill’, to ensure adequate involvement of youths in governance at all levels.

He explained that the ‘Not too Young to Run Bill’ was passed at the National Assembly, to ensure youths were responsible and contribute meaningfully towards nation building.

Senator Lawan also emphasized the need for sustained unity of the country, stressing that it was only in the atmosphere of peace that development could thrive.

The lawmaker stated that, President Muhammadu Buhari remained the only credible person with the integrity to fight corruption and therefore should be encouraged to continue till 2023, stating that “youths can join the presidential race in 2023”.

On his part, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Council, Amb. (Dr.) Dickson Akoh, expressed appreciation to the leadership of National Assembly for accepting to midwife the process of giving legal backing to the NYCN.

He regretted that, the council had not been able to organize election at the national level for the past twelve years.

Akoh, however, expressed confidence that within six months the election would be conducted, saying a transition committee would be inaugurated next week by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung.

He assured the gathering that, aside the NYCN bill which would scale through legislative process at the National Assembly, the United Nations (UN) would also finalise the process of according consultative status to the council in 2018.

He said, in line with the peace accord reached recently and with the intervention of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, various factions of the council existing hitherto, would be harmonised at the Abuja emergency management meeting.

Chairmen of the Council from various states of the federation, as well as present and past leaders of the council, members of Board of Trustees and Advisory Board, representative of the Minister, various organs of the council, attended the meeting.

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National Assembly to pass National Youth Council of Nigeria Bill 2018 – Senate Leader