Written By Daniel Karlmax; Edited By Godwin Duru
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), says the establishment of the Musawa for Youth and Development Initiative (Musawa 4 Y-D) was driven by the need to harness the potential of Nigeria’s youthful population through youth and women empowerment, civic engagement and national development.
Speaking at the inauguration of the initiative in Kaduna, the Minister said Nigeria has a predominantly young population, with over 60 per cent of its citizens below the age of 30.
He noted that the initiative was created to engage, empower and provide direction for young people, enabling them to become productive, innovative and responsible contributors to society.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Intelligence and Security Matters, General Bala Isandu (Rtd), the minister described MUSAWAH 4 Y-D as a social and political movement designed to mobilise young people across Kaduna State and the country for effective civic engagement and national development.
According to him, the initiative promotes equality, inclusion and shared responsibility while serving as a platform for youth and women who believe in service, development and a brighter future for Nigeria.
He urged members and supporters to remain focused on promoting good governance, development and issue-based political campaigns.
Addressing participants, the National Coordinator of MUSAWAH 4 Y-D, Ambassador Polycarp Danladi Gankon, explained that the movement has established a strong grassroots presence across Kaduna State, comprising 266 registered support groups drawn from farmers’ cooperatives, student unions, women associations, faith-based organisations, artisan groups and community development associations.
He disclosed that each support group has a minimum of 50 members, forming a broad network of community-based volunteers and advocates.
The organisation has also established a leadership structure consisting of 18 National Executive Council members and 115 local government officials across Kaduna State’s 23 local government areas.
Gankon further revealed that MUSAWAH 4 Y-D has appointed nine mobilizers in each of the state’s 255 wards, bringing the total number of ward mobilizers to 2,295.
In addition, the organisation is finalising the deployment of three mobilizers to each of Kaduna State’s 8,012 polling units, a move expected to produce over 24,000 grassroots officials.
According to him, the organisation is working towards having more than 26,500 active grassroots mobilizers by the end of the month to strengthen community engagement, influence public opinion and encourage wider political participation.
Beyond politics, he said the initiative is committed to youth and women empowerment through training programmes, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building sessions conducted across the state with the participation of lecturers from Ahmadu Bello University.
He added that the organisation supports National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) registration activities at its headquarters free of charge and sponsors Hausa-language radio programmes aimed at promoting public awareness of government policies and development initiatives.
While appreciating the support of the 266 affiliated groups, Gankon emphasised the need for sustainable funding to expand the organisation’s programmes and maintain its grassroots structures.
In a goodwill message, Kaduna State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. James Kanyip, underscored the importance of youth development in addressing insecurity.
He attributed many security challenges facing the country to inadequate youth engagement and limited economic opportunities.
According to him, investments in education, skills acquisition and human capital development can help reduce poverty, prevent radicalisation and discourage criminal activities among young people.
Kanyip commended the Kaduna State Government’s efforts in establishing skills acquisition centres in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru, noting that such initiatives provide young people with productive alternatives and contribute to long-term peace and stability.
He, however, urged the organisers to ensure that MUSAWAH 4 Y-D transcends politics and develops a sustainability plan capable of outliving its founder.
Daniel Karlmax
