Seventeen youth and cultural groups have recommended Dr Ahmed Adamu who is the chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) as a youth minister to the inkling administration of President-Elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement signed by the groups said Ahmed is well qualified for the job as a youth with vast local and international experience and exposure working with young people.

They said the youth of today who face different challenges and opportunities needed “to be given adequate space and opportunities to make critical decision that affect them.”

Commonwealth-Youth-chair, Ahmed-Adamu and President-elect MuhammaduBuhari

“Young people,” they said “are no longer tools for winning elections. We are partners and leaders of today’s progress and our voices must be heard.”

They groups also demanded that “as a new administration is about to assume power in the country, we call on the president-elect to maximise the use of the greatest asset of this country-the youth. We will not allow politicians to stop us in the track. Competence should matter in the selection of the cabinet, and young people should constitute at least 30% of the appointed positions.”

Ahmed Adamu holds a PhD in Energy Economics and is currently a University lecturer in the UK.

The youth groups urging the incoming Buhari administration to consider Ahmed for a youth minister include:

Progressive Youth Forum, Coalition of young professional organisations of Nigeria, Youth Awareness for Peace, Unity and Development, Pan-African Development Education and Advocacy Programme (PADEAP), Nigeria; NANS (Zone A), Youth against Drugs, AIDS & Violence Initiative (YADAVI), League of Youth democrats of Nigeria and African Centre for Talent Discovery and Capacity Maximization.

others are: Community Based Organisation for African Youth, Coalition of Northern Nigerian Youth, Arewa Youth Legacy Forum, Arewa Young Farmers Initiative, Association of Arewa Musician of Nigeria, Arewa Women Foundation, All Northern Traditional and Cultural Foundation, Arewa Youth Council, League of Kano Professionals and Northern Student Forum.