Abuja 2004: National Youth Cultural Festival

	Abuja 2004: National Youth Cultural Festival

	True Igbo Youth Solidarity Movement is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), a humanitarian, social and cultural organisation. It was established in 15th May 1995 as a child of circumstance in response to the need of the Nigerian youths to voice their feelings and get heard.

What is National Youth Cultural Festival all About?

National Youth Cultural Festival is a national
event that celebrates, showcases, recognizes and
mobilizes the youths in Nigeria.

The festival will be the first of its kind in Nigeria and we are anticipating that more than 20,000 (twenty thousand) youth delegates / participants from over 150 ethnic nationalities nation-wide would participate to celebrate and show-case their various and illustrous cultural heritages.

The event will also serve as an opportunity and platform for youth leaders, N.G.O's, C.B.O's,and youth organisation all over the country to inaugurate the national youth parliament wher the framwork and blue print for addressing the problems of young people in the country will be discussed.

During the festival, we shall also inaugurate the youth development programmes which will help empower the youths economically. This festival is not only going to be an important aspect of our transition programme, it is indeed very monumental in the socio-political milieu of our national unity.

Goals For The Event:

1) To unite the youth movement for a better world. (2) To show-case Nigeria illustrous cultura heritage and tourism potentials with a view to attract foreign investment to the art, cultural and tourism industry. (3) To educate the public on the role of young people i.e the youth in national development. (4) To recruit the next generation of volunteers. (5) To ensure that Nigeria is reckoned among the world best cultural and tourism centers in the world. (6) To expand and consolidate cultural and artistic attractions and opportunities in Nigeria.

Proposed Organisational Framework.

To be able to achieve these goals, and actualize our great vision, the following organisational framework has been established:

Liaison Offices have been established and maintained in the 36 states of the federation and F.C.T Abuja for purposes of proper liaison between our national office and other youth organisations nation wide.
Consultative Fora: For active coordination and to help galvanise the views and feelings of our youths, we have set-up a forum that will meet periodically to delibrate on priority plans of action and advise on strategies, ways and means of achieving same. For more information on this issue, pls. contact our public Affairs Section through our e-mail or postal address.

On National Youth Cultural Festival days, thousands of young people from numerous ethnic groups and ethnic nationalities will gather in Abuja Eagle Square to celebrate, showcase and exhibit their illustrious and enviable cultural heritages and also plan ahead on the numerous problems of young people in Nigeria and their possible solutions. All youth organisations, NGOs and foundations nationwide are involved in the planning at the national level and must send delegates to the youth parliament.
The festival would encompass the following: Cultural dancing, Entertainment galore, Cultural activities performing groups, artistic exhibitions and shows etc.

PLAN OF ACTION

There will be three segments to this festival. These are; the conference, the exhibition and the parliament.

The Conference:
The conference will mark the opening ceremony and will be the Nation's first ever-National Youth Summit. Her Excellency, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, first lady of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, will chair the summit. National strategies will be reviewed within the context of the conference framework for action and
successful programs, policies, projects, etc will be highlighted and share among summit delegates. The main agenda for the conference will be amongst other things, employment creation, employability, environmental sustainability and youth empowerment. Duration is one (1) day.

The Exhibition:

This is the main purpose of the festival. It will be the meeting place of the Nation's finest cultural exhibitions, shows, dressings, dancing and artistic displays. There will also be tour visits to various cultural centers within Abuja. The aim is to expand,
exploit and consolidate tourism attractions and tourism potentials in Nigeria by attracting foreigners to invest heavily in arts and tourism. This will boost the industry, generate revenue for Nigeria and at the same time create employment for the people living in these areas. Duration; Two (2) days.

The Parliament:
The parliament will address the youth (leaders of tomorrow). It will require of them more commitment than before. National Youth Parliament is all
about youth empowerment and youth relevance. The youth must be empowered. The National Youth Parliament will deliberate on youth involvement in politics of their various communities and states. The parliament is also about bringing out the best in our youth and yet making them relevant in governance. The agenda to be deliberated
at the youth parliament are: -

1) Organising national and international consultations to understand the local youth employment scenario and work harder to place the issue on their country's development agenda.

2) Developing partnership and collaboration between youth organisations, government, the private sector, N.G.Os, and education institutions to address the youth employment challenge.

3) Sending an National Youth Representative to the National Assembly to represent the interest of the youths all over the country.

4) Developing National Action Plans for youth employment and youth development. Duration: One day.

Members of the National Coordinating Committee:

Information to be updated.