- National Youth Conference set for February 2025 with a focus on unemployment and other key issues
- Minister Ayodele Olawande emphasised grassroots engagement and action-oriented outcomes
- President Bola Tinubu approved the approach, promising actionable results from the conference
The Federal Government has set the national youth conference for February 2025 to discuss key issues affecting the nation's youth, such as unemployment and political participation.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande disclosed this on Saturday, December 7, adding that delegates would spend three weeks engaging with youths at the grassroots before gathering in Abuja for one week.
National Youth Conference to start February 2025
“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 stated, adding that President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the selected delegates by mid-January.
The youth minister, providing updates on the confabulation preparations on Saturday, stated that the event would not be a time for "talk and spend money."
He further said, “We have changed the idea. The President has given us the go-ahead to come up with something more action-oriented, and after clarifying it with the Chief of Staff and getting his input, we will announce the modalities before the year (2024) ends.
“We will announce the committees. We’ll hit the ground running by mid-January or the last week of January. We will nominate representatives from each ministry and agency to collaborate with the delegates.
“We will announce those people; the President will approve and inaugurate them, and we will do the confab properly by the first week of February. I can assure you that we are going to the grassroots.”
Criticisms trail National Youth Conference
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, outlined plans for a 30-day national youth conference aimed at addressing urgent issues such as unemployment, education, and political participation for young Nigerians.
“This conference aims to provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building,” Tinubu stated.
Since the announcement, the lack of tangible progress has led to frustration among various youth groups, including the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yoruba Youths Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and the Ijaw National Congress.
“Nigerian youths are not happy with Tinubu on the delay in organising the national youth conference,” Yoruba Youths Council President Eric Oluwole stated.
According to the Minister of Youth Development, the 30-day event which would take place in February would be structured with two weeks for engagement at the federal constituency level and one week dedicated to the states and local government areas.
The last week will bring all participants to Abuja, where findings and progress will be evaluated and used to establish actionable plans.
‘We’ve failed Nigeria’: Ex-Bauchi Governor urges youth to lead nation’s revival
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the former governor of Bauchi State Mohammed Abubakar admitted his generation has failed Nigeria in leadership.
He urged Nigerian youths to step up and take responsibility for the nation's future.