Plateau: Ending youth crises key to social change – Group

By Kingsley Chukwuka

Addressing youth unemployment, curbing community violence, and tackling substance abuse will unlock the true potential of young people as catalysts for positive social change, a group under the aegis of Sentinel Oasis for love and Care Initiative (SOLCI), has said.

Speaking at the graduation of 120 young people, trained to effect change in their immediate environment, SOLCI, said if youths are positively engaged, it will have a ripple effect on their pairs.

The training was domicile at Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State with a focus on servant leadership, aimed at bridging the country’s longstanding leadership deficit, our correspondent reports.

However, in a lecture with a series titled Cohorts 1 and 2 Sentinel reunion, the SOLCI Executive Director Mr Haroun Harry Audu emphasized that lasting societal transformation starts with personal mindset shifts.

Audu noted that decades of recurring social and religious tensions in Jos North have heightened community segregation, making trust-building among the youth particularly challenging.

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According to him: “Youths are left without positive role models or purposeful mentorship, hence they struggle against systemic barriers. But targeted leadership development offers a clear pathway forward.

​”To address these local divides, the faith-driven organization has launched a strategic recruitment drive targeting young adults aged 18 to 25 across all 20 wards of Jos North.

“This initiative has trained equal numbers of male and female participants in two distinct phases, selecting six representatives from each ward. The pioneer cohort completed training in May 2025 across the first ten wards, including Tudun Wada and Gangare, while the second phase wrapped up in June 2026, reaching the remaining wards such as Lamingo, Naraguta, and Anguwan Rogo”, he said.

​Audu affirmed that these 120 newly minted leaders now form a vanguard of advocates equipped to champion progress across Plateau State and the broader nation.

He urged the participants to reject double standards, embrace personal sacrifice, and courageously stand up for vulnerable members of society.

​Adding to the call to action, the lead trainer, Mrs. Hannah Musa challenged the participants to translate their intentions into concrete work through accountability, steadfastness, and active responsibility.