Port Harcourt, September 2, 2005- Young Leaders from 19 states of Nigeria came together in Port Harcourt between September 1-2, 2005 for the first ever Nigerian Youth Leadership Summit. The Summit organised by Development Partnership in collaboration with Centre for Development Support Initiatives had the theme: "Youth Leadership towards Sustainable National Development." It was a unique opportunity for youth leaders to reflect on the importance and implications of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS)-Nigeria's equivalent of the IMF/World Bank Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, for their future, its correlation with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), what practical roles they can play to ensure that the gains of the reform process, through NEEDS, reach the communities where they do their work.

Dabesaki speaking to media after the event.

In his keynote address, Mr. Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, the Executive Director of Development Partnership International said that government means well by initiating the reforms process and this goodwill needs to be complemented by all stakeholders. He however expressed worry that with the controversies that exist with the acceptance of some of the principles of NEEDS, a lot of work needs to be done to increase awareness and effectively integrate the next generation of leaders into the implementation process in order to ensure sustainability.

Dabesaki's position was complemented by that of young Kick boxer Mr. Promise Ejiaka who emphasised the need to prioritise and work hard to achieve value re-orientation, as he believes it is the bedrock to achieving hard work among civil servants, eliminate "business as usual" and instil the spirit of discipline and private entrepreneurship and thereby creating new jobs and wealth. To him value re-orientation will help the Nation achieve her dream of a land where there is enough for all people.

Speaker at the event.

The Rivers State Honourable Commissioner for Youth, Employment and Economic Empowerment, Mr. Honourable Asita while delivering his opening speech said that he was happy to meet with a different breed of young people since after resuming duty only seven weeks ago. He expressed gratitude that young people are willing to take the lead in ensuring sustainable development and promised to support similar initiatives in the future. His Education counterpart Prof. Thompson Okujagu said in his speech that the ultimate goal of a summit of this nature and magnitude should be to mobilise towards the "maximal exploitation and harnessing of the creative and positive potentials of our youthful population for national development. Others represented at the opening are the Amayanabo of Kalabari His Royal Majesty King Prof. Theophilus Princewill, the Chairman of the Agency for Re-Orientation, Integrity, Service and Ethics, Prof. Tasie Godwin, celebrity actress and Project Director of the Street to Star Project Ms. Hilda Dokubo, and Executive Director, Centre for Development Support Initiatives Mrs. Minna Ogbanga.

After discussions and consultations through panel discussions, plenary sessions and working group sessions, the summit ended with a communiqué, which reiterated the importance and relevance of NEEDS at this time in our national life. It called for the review of the National Education Policy in order to reflect present realities in educational development globally, the expansion of HIV/AIDS Counselling and testing services to young people, enactment of environmental safety laws and the creation of new skills acquisition programmes as well as micro finance schemes to support young people in setting-up their own jobs, thereby creating wealth and new jobs for sustainable development. The communiqué also reiterated the importance of Information and Communication technology and called for the effective harnessing of its potentials towards national development.

The Youth leaders reiterated that they will gather again for the Nigerian Youth Leadership Summit and a tentative decision was taken to host the next in Enugu state.