LASG Unveils Youth Policy, Sexuality Education Curriculum

Lagos State Government has unveiled a policy document as well as a Comprehensive Sexuality Education, CSE, Curriculum for the youth population with an assurance that issues pertaining to youths would continue to receive its due attention from the government.

The Youth policy document provides a comprehensive and well-considered framework that clearly articulates issues among young people, provides a roadmap for addressing their needs based on some available evidence and also contains the commitment of the State government to address some of the identified issues.

Speaking at the unveiling of the document at the Youth Centre, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu said that the documents represent the importance which the present administration attaches to issues affecting the youth population.

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According to him, greater attention would now be paid to the rights of the youth than it has ever been, stressing that the State government could now be held responsible and accountable to its commitment as enunciated in the youth policy document.

“The Lagos State Youth Policy document contains commitments by government, the youths of Lagos State and the society in pursuance of youth growth and development,” Dawodu stated.

He recalled that the State Government adopted the National Youth Policy of 2009 with a view to entrenching a sustainable youth agenda that would engender meaningful youth engagement and enhance the quality of life.

In his words, “Evolving socio-economic issues, new and innovative opportunities coupled with the peculiarities of the State made a review of the existing policy inevitable and essential”.

Dawodu added that it is the desire of the State Government to ensure that the youth population live a high quality of life, are guaranteed the realisation of their potentials and also provided a level playing field to become veritable assets towards achieving the State’s economic and social development goals.

Speaking on the Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the Commissioner maintained that the good health and wellbeing of young people in the State are also essential to enable them to reach their potentials.

He revealed that the CSE was designed to enlighten youths in the non-formal vocational institutions, especially on Sexual health, rights and issues.

“The implementation of this Comprehensive Sexuality Education, CSE curriculum will improve access to adequate and correct information for young people, improve their abilities to make informed decisions about their own sexual and reproductive lives and exercise their sexual and reproductive rights”, he explained.

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The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Yewande Falugba said that the effective implementation of the policies rests on all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State Government, MDAs, youth organisations, the private sector, the civil society and the general public.

She said that the document among others would assist all stakeholders to address the issue of youth development holistically and advised all MDAs to critically consider the youth population, give them priority in programme planning as well as make adequate budgetary allocations for them.

Falugba, therefore, called on all the concerned stakeholders to give the needed impetus for the realisation of the policy objectives.