News Investigators/ The Federal Government says the National Youth Confab scheduled for October will bring together youth delegates from Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies to discuss solutions to national challenges.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference on preparations for the national youth engagement.
Mr Olawande said the two-week engagement would combine a nationwide virtual consultation with a physical conference in Abuja involving youth delegates from the 360 federal constituencies.
He said the physical conference would also include six delegates representing Nigerians in the diaspora, providing an opportunity for young Nigerians at home and abroad to participate.
The minister said the confab would provide an inclusive platform for young Nigerians to share experiences, express concerns, exchange ideas and develop practical solutions to national challenges.
According to him, the initiative is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in collaboration with youth networks and other relevant stakeholders.
Mr Olawande said the Confab would be held with the theme, “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future,” reflecting its focus on youth-led solutions and national development.
He said the objective was to move Nigerian youths beyond participation in national conversations to actively developing solutions and taking ownership of the country’s future.
The minister said young Nigerians constituted more than 70 per cent of the country’s population, making their participation essential to national development and policymaking.
He said youths were no longer merely leaders of tomorrow but partners in nation-building, with their ideas, experiences, energy and participation important to Nigeria’s progress.
Mr Olawande said the confab would be youth-led, while the Ministry of Youth Development would provide the necessary guidance and coordination throughout the process.
He said the government deliberately wanted young people to occupy the centre of the process rather than simply being invited to participate in an already-designed programme.
Mr Olawande said the first week would feature a nationwide virtual consultation involving Nigerians aged 18 to 35, both within the country and abroad.
He added that a dedicated online portal would receive memoranda, ideas and policy proposals from young Nigerians across different sectors and backgrounds ahead of the physical conference.
The minister said the virtual consultation would help shape the agenda, deliberations and final outcomes of the physical conference in Abuja.
He urged young entrepreneurs, students, farmers, professionals, technology innovators and other young Nigerians to participate actively in the consultation and submit practical proposals.
Mr Olawande said the second week would feature the physical National Youth Confab in Abuja, bringing together delegates from the 360 federal constituencies and six diaspora representatives.
He said the physical programme would feature expert panels, policy laboratories, innovation showcases, networking sessions and focused discussions on issues affecting young Nigerians.
The minister said delegate selection would be guided by transparency, merit, grassroots representation, gender balance and regional inclusion to ensure broad participation.
He added that persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups would be provided meaningful opportunities to participate in the national engagement.
Mr Olawande said discussions would centre on six pillars, namely governance, leadership and political participation; economic transformation, entrepreneurship and job creation; and education and skills for the future.
Other pillars, he said, were technology, innovation and digital transformation; climate change and energy transition; and social harmony and security.
He said the confab was not designed to become another youth conference where speeches and reports were produced without corresponding action, but would focus on practical outcomes.
Mr Olawande said mechanisms would be established to support implementation of recommendations and sustain engagement between youths and decision-makers after the delegates leave Abuja.
He listed the mechanisms as a Multi-Stakeholder Youth Confab Taskforce, Youth Confab Impact Index, sustained youth policy dialogues and a youth-led monitoring and accountability framework.
The minister called on young Nigerians across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the diaspora to register, submit ideas and propose workable solutions.
In her opening remark, Maryam Keshinro, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said the confab would provide young Nigerians with a platform to present ideas, innovations, creativity and challenges.
Ms Keshinro said the confab would be youth-led, with the ministry providing guidance while young people took the lead in determining issues and discussions.
She urged youths to participate actively in the October conference, emphasising that issues including the economy, security, infrastructure and national development would directly affect their future.
NAN