Jigawa youths on Wednesday called on governments at all levels to move beyond slogans and match words with action on youth empowerment.
PUNCH Online gathered that this came as the world marked the 2026 International Youth Day with this year’s theme, ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’.
The youths said they would continue to demand accountability until empowerment translates into real jobs and wealth.
It could be recalled that youth empowerment is one of the key components of Governor Umar Namadi’s 12-Point Agenda, with the Jigawa State Government allocating about N12.7bn for Youth Empowerment and Employment Initiatives with the approval of N901.8bn 2026 budget, tagged “Budget of Innovation and Transformation for Greater Jigawa II.”
While commemorating the day, the youths, who spoke in separate exclusive interviews with our correspondent in Dutse, Hadejia and Kazaure, said years of programmes and announcements had yielded little impact for genuine entrepreneurs and skilled youths at the grassroots.
