The Gombe State Government has developed a youth policy to protect young people’s rights, strengthen skills acquisition and enhance their participation in the state’s economy. 

The disclosure was made on Friday by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Micah Hamman, after the state economic council meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Governor Inuwa Yahaya and focused on policies aimed at advancing human capital development and inclusive economic growth.

Mr Hamman said the policy emerged from extensive consultations with key stakeholders and development partners to address challenges affecting youths across the state.

According to him, the initiative aligns with Gombe State’s 10-year development plan and supports the administration’s broader development objectives.

He said the policy would ensure that youths receive adequate support, training opportunities and empowerment programmes to improve their livelihoods and productivity.

Mr Hamman noted that youths constitute about 60 per cent of the state’s population, making their development critical to Gombe’s social and economic progress.

He said the policy was designed to transform young people into active contributors to development through entrepreneurship, agriculture and other productive ventures.

“Looking at Gombe State, jobs are scarce but youths can develop their skills, get involved in agriculture and other profitable businesses.

“The whole idea is to make every youth productive and to have a sense of belonging,” Mr Hamman said.

He stressed that the policy would ensure youths were not excluded from opportunities in education, skills development, labour and other critical sectors.

“This is to ensure that youths are not left behind because they are the strength of the labour, education, skill and other sectors,” he said.

Mr Hamman warned against the dangers of youth idleness, saying the government was determined to reduce social problems through productive engagement.

“We want to avoid situations whereby we find lots of youths involved in substance abuse and things that are not helpful.

“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop, but productive engagement encourages positive thinking and contributes to the progress of the nation,” he added.

The state Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Yusuf Kwadon, said the policy would help address challenges confronting the state’s growing youth population.

Mr Kwadon expressed confidence that the framework would provide practical solutions and create opportunities for young people to realise their full potential.

He said the policy reflected the government’s commitment to building a prosperous future driven by empowered, skilled and economically active youths.

(NAN)