The Federal Government has set February 2025 for a 30-day National Youth Conference aimed at addressing critical issues facing Nigeria’s youth, such as unemployment, education, and political participation.
President Bola Tinubu, in his Independence Day broadcast, described the conference as a forum to empower young people and promote active participation in nation-building.
“The conference aims to provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow,” he said.
However, the delay in organizing the conference has caused frustration among various youth groups across the country. Organizations such as the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yoruba Youths Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and the Ijaw National Congress have voiced their disappointment over the presidency’s silence.
AYCF President Zaid Ayuba expressed his discontent, saying, “We express our profound disappointment with the government’s inability to organise the much-anticipated national youth conference.
“The President’s announcement was an opportunity for all Nigerians to witness a decisive mandate to bring it to fruition. Unfortunately, this failed to materialize at a critical time, which deeply disheartened us.”
Yoruba Youths Council President Eric Oluwole also criticized the delay, stating, “I can say categorically that Nigerian youths are not happy with Tinubu on the delay in organising the national youth conference as proposed by him. We are already planning a meeting of Nigerian youths to remind the Federal Government that we are not going to relent until we achieve our goal, because we believe that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We also have the power to decide the country’s political future.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide spokesperson Dr. Alex Ogbonnia emphasized that the conference would benefit the president by providing insights into the needs of the youth.
He said, “The youth confab is to the advantage of the President and shouldn’t be delayed any further because it will enable the President to know the yearnings of the youth.” Similarly, Ijaw National Congress representative Ezonebi Oyekemeagbegha warned that the delay could lead to disengagement among youths. “It is unfortunate that the confab is yet to be held. We expect that the President should have met with the youth, particularly this time when there is a lot of hardship,” Oyekemeagbegha said.
The Democratic Socialist Movement’s Secretary Peluola Adewale dismissed the planned conference as a “diversionary tactic” to placate the youth during the #EndBadGovernance protests, accusing the government of being insincere.
“It (confab) was a charade ab initio. The Tinubu government was never sincere about it. It was meant to bribe a section of young people at the period of an upswing in the #EndBadGovernance movement. The government doesn’t see an immediate need for the youth conference at the moment,” Adewale said.
In response, Youth Minister Ayodele Olawande, confirmed that the conference would take place in February 2025, with three weeks dedicated to grassroots engagement across federal constituencies, states, and local governments.
The final week will be spent in Abuja, where all findings and progress will be reviewed.
Olawande stated, “We will do the confab by the first week of February. It is not going to be the usual confab. That is why about three weeks of this confab will be spent with the grassroots.”
Olawande added that the government had revamped the conference’s approach to make it more action-oriented. “We have changed the idea. The President has given us the go-ahead to come up with something more action-oriented,” he said, promising updates and the formation of committees before the end of 2024.
He also revealed that President Tinubu would inaugurate selected delegates in mid-January.
The youth minister reiterated the importance of a task force to implement the recommendations from the conference, which would be turned into executive orders or bills for the National Assembly.
“We will still ask the President to give us an implementation task force so that when we need to do an executive order, we can put it up immediately,” Olawande stated.
National Association of Nigerian Students President Lucky Emonefe called for swift action to ensure the conference is held as planned.
“We urge the minister of youth to please expedite action. Mr. President should put action to his words to ensure that the conference takes place because it is an opportunity for Nigerian youths to express their mind, their challenges, and demands,” Emonefe said.
He also emphasized the need for greater youth participation in government, stating, “We want a situation whereby like 50 percent of government positions would be occupied by youths so that we can attend to the needs of the youth.”
As preparations continue, stakeholders remain hopeful that the conference will deliver tangible solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria’s youth, while reinforcing the government’s commitment to empowering the country’s largest demographic.
