The Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with youth groups, civil society organisations, and development partners, has progressed its draft youth policy process through a combined advocacy engagement and technical Youth Policy Dialogue convened under the Youth Leading Change Program (YLCP), implemented by Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI) with support from the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF).
The process began with a strategic advocacy courtesy visit to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, where stakeholders formally introduced the youth policy domestication and review process.
During the engagement, the Honourable Commissioner reaffirmed the government’s openness to collaboration and confirmed that Kebbi State is currently working with a draft youth policy framework that is undergoing refinement, noting the absence of a fully formalized and operational youth policy in its completed form.
The Commissioner further expressed institutional readiness to support the process through technical collaboration, assignment of a liaison officer, and escalation of outcomes to the State Executive Council and subsequently the State House of Assembly for legislative consideration.
This initial engagement set the foundation for the subsequent Youth Policy Dialogue held in Birnin Kebbi under the theme “Strengthening Youth Policy Development, Review and Implementation”, which brought together 39 stakeholders across government institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups, and persons with disabilities, alongside 15 participants engaged in the preceding advocacy process.
The dialogue forms part of an ongoing domestication and refinement exercise aimed at strengthening a draft youth policy currently undergoing structured review.
Stakeholders confirmed that four thematic areas have been reviewed, while two remain under final consideration, positioning the process at an advanced stage of policy consolidation.
Speaking during the dialogue, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nura Bala Fingila, reaffirmed government commitment to youth inclusion and institutional strengthening. “Youth development in Kebbi State is on course.
Since the advent of this administration, there has been deliberate focus on youth empowerment, education, skills development, and sports as tools for social and economic advancement,” he stated.
“The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that the outcomes of this process are advanced through the appropriate executive and legislative channels for formal adoption and implementation.”
He further emphasized the importance of unity among stakeholders and sustained collaboration to ensure effective policy outcomes.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the engagement and Programme Manager of Solid Stone Advocacy for Health and Education Initiative Africa (SOHEDU), Amiru Umar Faruk, highlighted the purpose of the policy process.
“This draft policy is designed to ensure structured inclusion of young people in governance and development processes, particularly in matters that directly affect their lives and futures,” he said.
“The goal is to move from fragmented interventions to a coherent, evidence-informed youth policy framework that is co-owned and implementable.”
Representing Bridge Connect Africa Initiative, Fatima Musa Aliyu, Chief Operating Officer (COO), emphasized the broader regional significance of the engagement.
“Across Northwest Nigeria, young people are actively contributing to development, but their participation is often not reflected within formal governance systems,” she noted.
“This dialogue is designed to strengthen institutional clarity and policy coherence so that youth inclusion becomes structured, predictable, and sustainable rather than incidental.”
She added that outcomes from Kebbi State will feed into the broader Northwest Youth Development Framework under the Youth Leading Change Program. Stakeholder contributions during the dialogue reflected strong consensus on inclusion, coordination, and implementation priorities.
Participants emphasized the need for explicit inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, strengthened youth development structures at local government level, and expanded economic empowerment approaches that move beyond production to full value chain development.
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Kebbi State Chapter, described the engagement as a timely step toward consolidating fragmented youth initiatives into a unified policy framework, while stressing the importance of sustained stakeholder collaboration through to legislative adoption.
The session concluded with technical working groups tasked with further refining the remaining thematic areas of the draft policy, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing a coordinated, inclusive, and implementable youth development framework for Kebbi State.
The Youth Leading Change Program (YLCP) continues to support structured youth policy engagement across Northwestern Nigeria, linking state-level reform processes with regional frameworks aimed at strengthening youth governance, participation, and accountability.
