By Funmilayo Adeyemi

Prof. Femi Ajayi, President, Nigeria Private University Debate (NIPUD), has called on the Federal Government to involve Nigerian youths in the policy making process for the development of the country.

Ajayi made the call in Nasarawa at the 5th edition of the debate, organised by NIPUD.

The debate has its theme as ” The United Nations and Global Economy: Implications for regression, Recession and Regeneration for the Nigerian youths.’’

He said that youth involvement in the policy making process of the country was also critical toward reshaping the country’s image ‘’in the light of the world.’’

According to him, the debate will also give the youth the platform to brainstorm on issues that affect ‘’us as a nation.’’

He further said recommendations would be issued at the end of the programme on Friday.

Ajayi further said that the event was done in a bid to help address some of the issues confronting the nation.

“We thought we should give something back to the government through our youths as they are the future leaders of this great country.

“All the policies the government is making at the Federal, State and Local Government levels never put the youths into consideration.

“It is not that we don’t have good policy makers in Nigeria, but that those making policy have centralised everything for self satisfaction.

“The only way we can convey the need for youth’s contribution toward the development of Nigeria is only through this debate.

‘’We hope that government can key in to this programme to address some of the issues confronting the country,” he said.

The president of NIPUD thanked Mrs Toyin Saraki and other sponsors of the programme for their enormous encouragement and donations toward the success of the event.

Ajayi called on other well meaning Nigerians to emulate Saraki and oyther sponsors by sponsoring subsequent edition of the programme.

He said that the best performing university would be awarded N500,000, second, N300,000, third with N150,000 and the fourth prize would go home with N80,000.

Also, Dr Solomon Iguanre, Assistant Secretary-General of NIPUD, said the debate was a platform to sensitise the government as well as providing new discussion on issues bothering ‘’on our wellbeing.’’

Iguanre also called on the government to invest in the education of the youth, adding that they formed the pivotal for national development.

The 2017 season of the debate has about 10 private universities to compete with one other.

Some of the topics students of private university debated on are; ‘’Country that solely depends on food security will go bankrupt.

The students also lurked horns on ‘’Industrial diversification of the country will promote employment,’’ among others.

The institutions are: Bingham University, Evangel University, Nile University, Caleb University, Igbinedion University and Veritas University.

Others are Afe Babalola University of Ado-Ekiti, Rhema University, Michael and Cecilia University and Covenant University.