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By Yemisi Hambali
Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has called for a practical, time-bound roadmap to harness the state’s demographic dividend, stressing that deliberate investment in young people is critical to achieving sustainable economic growth.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi, made the call at a high-level stakeholders’ consultative meeting on harnessing the demographic dividend in Kwara State.
He warned that without strategic investments in education, healthcare, skills development and employment, the state’s growing youth population could become a social and economic burden rather than a catalyst for development.
Governor AbdulRazaq said his administration had already laid a strong foundation through initiatives such as KwaraLEARN, the Kwara Innovation Hub, the Kwara State Social Investment Programme and the Primary Healthcare Transformation Programme across the 16 local government areas.
He urged stakeholders to produce an actionable roadmap focused on strengthening healthcare, expanding technical and vocational education, promoting youth entrepreneurship, creating jobs and increasing youth participation in governance.
In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi, represented by Mohammed Salihu, said the success of policies and programmes depends largely on the availability of reliable demographic data.
He assured stakeholders of the Assembly’s readiness to provide the legislative support needed to implement policies that will enable the state to reap the benefits of its youthful population.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Mrs. Mary Ronke Arinde, described the meeting as timely and strategic, noting that more than 60 per cent of Kwara’s population is under the age of 30.
She said the state’s demographic transition presents a unique opportunity to drive inclusive growth through sustained investments in education, healthcare, skills acquisition, decent employment and good governance.
Mrs Arinde added that unlocking the demographic dividend would require strong collaboration among government, development partners, the private sector, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, academia and the media.
She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to integrating population dynamics into the state’s development planning.
Also speaking, the Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms. Abbigail Msemburi, commended the Kwara State Government for convening the meeting, describing it as a demonstration of its commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.
She said this year’s World Population Day theme, “Realizing the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People Today and for the Future,” highlights the importance of placing young people at the centre of development planning through sustained investments in education, healthcare, skills development and decent employment.
Msemburi reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to supporting Kwara State through the European Union-funded Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (EU-SARAH) Project.
She urged stakeholders to sustain collaboration in implementing the demographic dividend roadmap, stressing that strategic investments in young people would stimulate economic growth, foster innovation and promote shared prosperity across the state.
Editing: Abdullah Ahmed
