Tinubu's Youth Conference to Engage Nigerian Youths

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced in October 2024 during his Independence Day Broadcast that a youth conference would be convened to engage Nigerian youths in national decision-making. The delay in organizing the conference has been attributed to careful planning to shield it from political influences.

Many young Nigerians perceive this delay as bureaucratic inefficiency amidst ongoing challenges such as insecurity, economic hardship, and unemployment. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has committed to ensuring that this conference will effectively implement the findings from previous youth conferences.

The structure of the upcoming conference includes a two-week engagement with nationwide virtual consultations managed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The selection of 360 physical delegates is intended to be non-partisan, aiming to represent a broad spectrum of Nigerian youth.

The government anticipates that the conference will address the grievances of young Nigerians, who have been adversely affected by recent economic reforms.