YOUTH AND CHILD EMPOWERMENT IN NIGERIA: A LEGAL APPRAISAL

Abstract

Youth empowerment is a process where children and young people are encouraged to take charge of their lives by addressing their access to resources to transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values and attitude. This is in tandem with the mandate of United Nations sustainable development goals. When youths are empowered, they have requisite skills and opportunities to positively impact their nation. Study advocates for youth empowerment and examines the various legal framework that provides for their protection. The work revealed that despite youth empowerment programmes sponsored by the Government, many youths and children still wallow in poverty due to many challenges that hinder their development. The work showed many factors that exacerbate lack of empowerment, such as population bloat, social economic and cultural factors. Further, the work discovered that despite the legal framework that provides for their empowerment that there are many lapses inherent to our laws that make it virtually impossible for the realization of their development. The work discovered that youth and children’s development is a catalyst for sustainable development in Nigeria. Furthermore, the work found that youth and children’s development is precedent for national growth and development. Hence, failure to empower them will increase the rate of social vices in Nigeria such as kidnapping cultism peddling, organ harvesting etcetera. The work recommends that government should make policies that will enhance entrepreneurial activities. Review of extent laws like Child’s Right Act, the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. The government should eradicate every factor that is inimical to youth and children empowerment.