By Ehis Agbon, Kaduna, Nigeria — December 1, 2025
A coalition of youth-focused civic groups has praised the Kaduna State Government for what they describe as bold and progressive steps toward harnessing the demographic dividend and prioritizing youth development. The commendation was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Youth Advocacy Coalition on Demographic Dividend.
According to the coalition, Kaduna State has continued to demonstrate leadership in human capital development, particularly with the re-establishment of the Ministry of Youth Development—an action they say signals the administration’s “commitment, readiness, and political will” to invest in the wellbeing and aspirations of young people.
The group also applauded the government for reviewing and developing the Kaduna State Demographic Dividend Roadmap (DDR) in 2024, with support from development partners including the FCDO-Lafiya Programme and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). They noted that the roadmap aligns strongly with Governor Uba Sani’s SUSTAIN Manifesto and reflects a deliberate move toward evidence-based youth development.
Citing the 2025 third-quarter Budget Implementation Report, the coalition highlighted the government’s 94% performance on youth-targeted programmes—amounting to over N14 billion in expenditure. They also noted that Kaduna State met and surpassed national budgetary benchmarks for health, education, and agriculture, describing the trend as proof that Kaduna “leads, innovates, and sets the pace for others to follow.”
To strengthen implementation of the Demographic Dividend Roadmap, the coalition called on Governor Uba Sani to approve the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) under the Office of the Deputy Governor, as recommended in the DDR. They proposed that the TWG be domiciled within the Human Capital Development (HCD) Strategic Team to ensure multisectoral coordination and sustained accountability.
The youth groups further recommended that the Ministry of Youth Development serve as the Secretariat of the TWG, citing its direct engagement with the state’s predominantly young population—83% of Kaduna residents are children and young people, according to the Kaduna Demographic and Health Survey (KDGHS 2020).
The coalition stated that if Kaduna becomes the first subnational government in Nigeria to institutionalize such a demographic-driven mechanism, it would mark a historic milestone with long-term social and economic benefits.
“We remain committed to supporting the government, engaging stakeholders, and championing initiatives that will secure a prosperous and inclusive future for all young people in Kaduna State,” the statement read.
The press statement was jointly signed by leading youth representatives including Sumayya Abdul Hussaini, Co-chair of the Kaduna State OGP TWG on Strengthening Social Protection System; Christopher Atsen, State Coordinator of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI); Usman Idris Abdullahi, State Organising Secretary of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Kaduna State; Hassan John, Speaker of the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN); Seth Luke, Co-chair of the Kaduna State OGP TWG on Strengthening Participatory Budget Process; and Waniya Ilu, Head of Participatory Governance at Civic Impact for Sustainable Development.
