UN urges Cameroon gov’t to invest in Youth

The Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, UNPF, to Cameroon, Dr Barbara Sow, has appealed to the Cameroon Government to invest heavily in the youth if she bothers about her future.

Speaking during the World population Day celebrations that took place at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue grandstand on July 11, the UNPF’s representative reminded the Minister Delegate of Economy and Regional Development, Yaouba Abdulai, and other stakeholders to ensure that the youth have access to good health, education, paid jobs and funds in order to foster economic opportunities thereby enhancing growth.

According to UNPF, the fact that real development has to be sustainable, it must build upon the foundation of yesterday and pave the road for tomorrow. Quoting the UNFPA’s Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde, Sow said it is the youth that bridge the gap between yesterday and tomorrow.

“A sustainable future depends on a resilient population and this cannot be achieved without investing in young people. As you know so well, sustainable development also has to be inclusive and has to promote human rights so as to mitigate the threat to vulnerable groups; youths in particular and most especially young girls,” Dr Sow noted.

She said no matter what definition we use, the youth form the majority of the population in Cameroon today, and in order for them to contribute to the Cameroon of 2035, they need to reach their full potential and they need to thrive. “We must invest in young people for the simple reason that they are the majority. The number of people (youth, children and infants) below 20 years of age represents 62 percent of the total population in Cameroon”. She stressed that for this to be an opportunity for economic growth, it requires investment in education, health, employment and for the Government to ensure youth’s participation in decisions guiding their future.

The fact that 25 percent of every four girls of 15-19 years have already had a child compromises their educational potential, “and lessons from Bamenda show how important and how valuable girls education is, by the virtue of all the great women who have come from here,” Sow remarked.

While acknowledging that the youth face multiple problems from inadequate educational system to insufficient employment opportunities, to limited access to credits for youth entrepreneurs, Madam Barbara Sow, said more and more youths are exposed to vulnerabilities and abuses, particularly in the areas of sexuality, marriage and childbearing . “Girls are coerced into unwanted sex or early marriages, increasing the risks of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions or sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. These are not small problems for young people as they start their adult life.”Sow declared.

Earlier in a welcome speech, the Secretary General of the Bamenda City Council, Victor Fomefret, representing the Government Delegate thanked the United Nation officials for choosing Bamenda to celebrate World Population Day and urged youths to engage in sustainable development activities and showed greater signs of civic responsibilities.

The President of National Youth Council for the Northwest, Vincent Ihimbru Bache, thanked Government for offering employment opportunities to young people, saying that it was not enough as there are still thousands of young graduates roaming the streets. He enumerated the achievements of the National Youth Council and promised to accompany President Biya to attain his 2035 vision.

Yaouba Abdulai condemned child labour and child trafficking and called on parents to continue to send children to school without discrimination. He claimed that Government is leaving no stone unturned as far as unemployment is concerned.

Gifts from Government and UNPF to farming groups and hospitals included delivery beds, farm tools, wheel barrows, a tractor and cash prizes to youths who participated in the week-long sporting activities.