Ukorebi Esien | September 15, 2026
CALABAR — The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Cross River State Chapter, has urged the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to prioritise job creation, sustainable livelihoods and long-term economic opportunities for young people rather than short-term empowerment initiatives.
The NYCN made the demand during an engagement between the SSDC and youth leaders from across Cross River State in Calabar, where it presented a seven-point Youth Charter of Requests to the Commission.
The engagement, led on behalf of the SSDC by its Cross River State Representative on the Governing Board, Rt. Hon. Larry Odey formed part of the Commission’s ongoing grassroots consultations with critical stakeholders across the six South-South states ahead of the implementation of its programmes and interventions.
Addressing the SSDC delegation, NYCN Cross River Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Olayi, said the youths were not at the meeting merely to make demands but to offer partnership, ideas and solutions to the Commission.
Olayi, however, said young people needed opportunities that would enable them to become economically productive rather than interventions that merely provided temporary relief.
“We are therefore not here only to make demands. We are here to offer partnership, ideas and solutions. But we also believe that our priorities must be clearly heard,” he said.
The youth leader identified sustainable employment as the foremost priority, urging the SSDC to deliberately include Cross River youths in employment, internships, apprenticeships and opportunities arising from development projects supported by the Commission.
He also called for greater investment in technical and vocational education, digital skills, entrepreneurship and youth-led businesses.
According to him, many young people have business ideas but lack the capital and support required to translate them into viable enterprises.
He therefore proposed the establishment of a Youth Enterprise and Empowerment Fund or a similar financing mechanism through which young entrepreneurs could access grants, affordable loans, mentorship and market opportunities.
The NYCN further called for increased investment in youth-led agriculture and agribusiness, including access to land, improved seedlings, mechanisation, processing facilities, storage, extension services, financing and markets.
The council argued that young people should not merely be encouraged to farm but should be supported to participate in the entire agricultural value chain.
On the digital economy, Olayi urged the Commission to support training in areas including coding, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, software development, cybersecurity, graphic design and e-commerce.
He also called for improved internet and digital infrastructure, particularly for youths in rural communities.
The youths' seven-point charter further demanded institutionalised youth participation in development planning and monitoring, investment in youth development and innovation centres, support for sports and creative industries, and equitable distribution of youth-focused interventions across the state's 18 local government areas.
The council also sought special consideration for young women, rural youths, persons with disabilities, unemployed graduates and other vulnerable groups.
On governance and accountability, the NYCN requested the establishment of a youth advisory or consultative mechanism through which young people could regularly engage with the SSDC.
It also proposed that the Commission work with the NYCN and other credible youth stakeholders to develop a Cross River Youth Development Framework containing specific priorities, targets and measurable outcomes.
Olayi said the youths wanted a Cross River where young people would not have to leave the state in search of opportunities, but could find the skills, infrastructure, capital and enabling environment needed to build sustainable livelihoods at home.
The seven-point charter was presented as a framework for further engagement between the NYCN and the SSDC, with the youths expecting the identified priorities to be translated into programmes, funding commitments and implementation timelines.
Olayi stressed that the engagement should translate into concrete action.
“Today's engagement should not end with speeches and photographs. We respectfully ask for clear action points, responsible institutions, timelines and follow-up mechanisms,” he said.
He added that the youths wanted “partnership, not dependency; opportunity, not tokenism; and measurable action, not promises.”
Responding to the concerns, the SSDC's Cross River representative, Odey, outlined the mandate of the Commission and emphasised the importance of building a working relationship with young people as it begins to implement programmes across the state.
The engagement provided an opportunity for youth leaders to present their concerns directly to the Commission and for the SSDC to hear perspectives on the priorities and challenges confronting young people across the state.
The youths also pledged to support initiatives aimed at promoting peace, economic development and community resilience, assuring the Commission that young people in Cross River were ready to contribute their skills, energy and enterprise to the development of the state and the wider South-South region.
The SSDC's response and subsequent implementation of any youth-focused interventions will therefore be closely watched, particularly against the youths' demand for measurable outcomes and equitable distribution of opportunities across the 18 local government areas.
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