Nigeria becomes the first country in Africa to adopt a National Action Plan on the UNSCR 2250 on YPS
CSPPS is thrilled to announce the recent launch of the Nigerian National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) in Abuja on November 1, 2021, by the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development – Mr Sunday Dare, and the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs – Mrs Pauline Tallen, to bring attention to and address the peace and security challenges of youth during the three-day long National Youth Conference. With the launch of this report Nigeria becomes the first country in Africa and second in the world to adopt a National Action Plan on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.
CSPPS has been involved in this process via its local focal point organisation the Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA). CSDEA through its Executive Director has been coordinating efforts in bringing a coalition together that has spearheaded the drafting of this NAP, in addition to having provided both technical as well as financial support to the development of the YPS NAP initiative.
In Nigeria, civil society has been heavily involved in the advancement of YPS, including during the #EndSARS protest – a youth-driven, country-level protest that started against police brutality and echoes a multidimensional struggle for social justice. While the Nigerian youth has been raising their voice on the streets and social media, they must also actively participate in the policymaking of peacebuilding in order to be truly empowered and able to make an impact. The YPS NAP is an attempt to do so through the domestication of the UNSCR 2250: a Resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) on 9 December 2015 which recognizes that young people play an important and positive role in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.
Since 2016, a large variety of stakeholders across the country have collaborated on developing the YPS NAP, designed to complement existing policy initiatives while reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to ensure the meaningful engagement of youth in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts. The document, a practical guide to Federal, State and Local Governments, as well as non-governmental stakeholders, aims to ensure that their programmes respond to immediate and long-term needs of youth. It was developed in tandem with the five pillars of the UNSCR 2250 which includes Participation, Prevention, Protection, Partnerships, as well as Disengagement and Reintegration.
Over 500 participants attended the National Youth Conference, held on November 1-3, including the Vice President of Nigeria – Professor Yemi Osibanjo, the Minister of Information and Culture – Lai Mohammed, representatives of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the European Union (EU), civil society organizations and youth groups. This demonstrates the commitment of the Government of Nigeria to give attention to the subject and value they see in collaboration with other stakeholders.
During the conference, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development stated that the YPS NAP is the Nigerian government’s response to the insecurity and challenges the youth of Nigeria are faced with. He encouraged closer collaboration between the government and Nigeria’s youth, and thanked all stakeholders involved - the Nigeria Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, the Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA), UNFPA, the EU, CSPPS, the African Union (AU), and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) - for their support.
The full document, which you can download via this link, summarizes the YPS NAP strategy performance management, including its strategic objectives and outcomes according to the pillars enshrined in the UNSCR 2250, and lists key recommendations based on those pillars.