The Federal Government formally opened the National Youth Confab 2026 in Abuja on Friday, October 3, 2026. The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, declared the confab open at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Auditorium in Abuja. He emphasized that the gathering should serve as a platform for young Nigerians to exchange ideas, identify opportunities and challenges, and contribute to policies and programmes affecting their lives.
Minister Olawande described young Nigerians as one of the country’s greatest assets, citing their contributions to entrepreneurship, technology, the creative economy, civic engagement, innovation, and community development. However, he acknowledged the challenges facing young people in employment, skills development, access to finance, education, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, peace and security, as well as access to opportunities. He stressed that addressing these challenges requires coordinated action by the government and other stakeholders.
The minister urged delegates to go beyond identifying problems and develop realistic recommendations, partnerships, and measurable actions that could translate the deliberations into stronger programmes, improved access to opportunities, and greater accountability. He also called on the private sector, development partners, civil society organisations, and youth-led organisations to strengthen collaboration with the government in expanding opportunities for young Nigerians across the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, stressed the importance of meaningful youth participation in national development. She said the confab provided an opportunity for young Nigerians to shape conversations and policies around leadership, governance, jobs, entrepreneurship, education, digital skills, peacebuilding, and national unity. Keshinro equally urged participants to move beyond discussions and translate their ideas into practical and measurable actions.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Olaseye Nafiu, commended the Federal Government for convening the confab, describing it as a timely platform for harnessing the ideas, energy, and potential of Nigeria’s young population. He noted that with young people constituting a significant proportion of the country’s population, their inclusion in national conversations and decision-making processes remained critical to Nigeria’s development.
Other speakers at the event, including the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and the World Bank’s Lead Agricultural Economist for West and Central Africa, Dr Hardwick Tchale, highlighted the importance of youth participation in national development. They emphasized the need to engage young people in national conversations and decision-making processes and harness their skills and potential for the country’s progress.
The National Youth Confab 2026 is expected to produce outcomes capable of being translated into meaningful action. The Minister of Youth Development assured participants that the Federal Ministry of Youth Development would continue to provide platforms for young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in shaping policies and programmes that affect them. The confab is a step towards ensuring that young Nigerians are not regarded merely as leaders of tomorrow but as active partners and contributors to national development today.
Key points
- The Federal Government has opened the National Youth Confab 2026 in Abuja to harness the ideas, energy, and potential of Nigeria’s young population.
- The confab aims to provide a platform for young Nigerians to exchange ideas, identify opportunities and challenges, and contribute to policies and programmes affecting their lives.
- The event brought together various stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, and youth-led organisations, to discuss youth participation in national development.
