PROTOCOL:
I am very delighted to welcome you all to this year's International Youth Day Celebration, a day set aside by the United Nations to Honour the Youth. It was an idea hatched in Lisbon Portugal in the year 1998. All over the world, this day is observed for the young people whose ideas and innovations shall determine the future of all nations. Nigeria as a signatory to this declaration, observes the day with a week long series of activities that culminates in the Grand Finale on 12th of August. This is to demonstrate government's support and commitment to the cause of youth in Nigeria.
The objectives of this celebration are: (1) To sensitize young people on the importance of sustainability in the development of every nation; (2) To recognize and honour youth who have made positive contributions to national development; (3) Building friendship among the youth; and (4) To remind the youth of their role and responsilities in nation building.
The theme for this year's celebration as chosen by the United Nations is "Sustainability: Our Challenge, Our Future." It is very significant because it cuts across all segments of human activities viz: the Environment, Economy and Society. About 1000 young people have been kept together since 6th of August to explore the theme through various activities and programmes such as Paper Presentations on topics that centered around the theme, Carnival Trains, Dance Drama Competitions, Sporting Activities, and the Honourable Minister's Interactive Forum where the youth had the opportunity to sit down with their Minister to make viable contributions on the way forward. All these activities, you will all agree with me, were highly educative and informative.
It is with utmost loyalty and honour that I welcome His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (GCFR), President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to this year's International Youth Day Celebration. The presence of your Excellency at this ceremony is a clear demonstration of Mr. President's commitment to youth development.
This year's International Youth Day Celebration is quite remarkable as nearly all the states of the federation are in attendance including more than 40 Voluntary Youth Organisations. This is a clear demonstration of our collective dedication to make Nigerian youth key contributors to the development of our great country, Nigeria.
I must commend all participants for the cooperation, resilience and the participatory spirit you displayed throughout the duration of the programme. I must confess that I learnt a lot from your quality contributions during our interaction which has helped to solidify my resolute belief in the Nigerian youth as the bedrock for national development. I have no doubt in my mind that the lessons learnt here will be properly disseminated to our counterparts who are not part of us here today as we return to our various communities to enable every Nigerian youth play a vital role in our quest for sustainability whether in the environment, economy or the society in general.
I sincerely thank you all for being part of this year's International Youth Day. The successful celebration of this day would not have been possible without your active participation and the support of our development partners especially the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). I equally appreciate the contributions of the FCT Administration, the National Youth Service Corps and other government agencies. Your action has clearly demonstrated the importance of synergy as catalyst to youth development.
May I seize this opportunity to crave for the continous commitment of every stakeholder as we collectively strive to implement youth programmes to better the lots of Nigerian youth.
Thank you all for making the 2009 International Youth Day a huge success. I wish you a safe journey back to your respective destinations.
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