President Buhari to address Global Youth Forum in Abuja today

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

In a bid to tackle the menace of youth unemployment globally, Nigeria is set to host over 200 young people around the world in Abuja to discuss ways to ensure more and better quality jobs for young people.
The Global Youth Employment Forum, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Nigerian government, is billed to take place from 1 to 3 August in Abuja.
The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari and ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, is expected to address the opening ceremony.
According to ILO, youths participants at the forum are expected to discuss and agree on recommendations that will advance the ILO’s Resolution on ‘The Youth Employment Crisis: A Call for Action’, which was adopted at the International Labour Conference in June 2012, adding that the resolution calls for immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth employment crisis.
“The Global Youth Employment Forum with the theme ‘Today and Tomorrow with Decent Jobs for Youths’ aims to engage youths to share their employment experiences and their visions for the future of work.
“With 59 million young people unemployed worldwide and 136 million in poverty, youth employment is one of the most pressing issues facing the world of work.
“Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari and ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, will address the opening ceremony, which will be webcast along with the main events of the first day.
“Participants will also discuss how to accelerate progress on youth employment-related targets and youth-related Sustainable Development Goals. Other topics for discussion are gender equality, rights, the rural economy, youth representation and the opportunities and challenges facing young people in their search for decent work.
“Fifteen young entrepreneurs will present their solutions to some of these issues in an exhibition showcasing their projects.
“Government, employers’ and workers’ representatives, academics, and members of multilateral organizations, regional institutions, foundations, civil society and the private sector will also take part in the forum.” Said ILO
It could be recalled that the last visit of a sitting ILO Director-General was in 1960 during the first African Regional Conference of ILO held in Lagos.