The Seyi Tinubu Colloquium, held in Lagos, brought together Nigerian leaders, policy strategists, and youth advocates to discuss the importance of youth inclusion in national governance. The event, themed "Shaping the Future Together," aimed to create a platform for policy alignment and intergenerational dialogue. Convener Seyi Tinubu emphasized the need for young Nigerians to transition from passive commentators to active architects of policy and institutional reform. The colloquium was attended by state governors, federal cabinet ministers, traditional rulers, and youth delegations.
Seyi Tinubu framed the colloquium as a bridge between historical struggles for democratic governance and the contemporary imperative to modernize the national economy. He defended the macroeconomic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, including the removal of the petrol subsidy, exchange rate unification, and comprehensive tax restructuring. Tinubu acknowledged the immediate financial strain on households but argued that these measures are vital to unlocking long-term economic stability. He urged young professionals to deepen their engagement with technical policy and governance mechanisms.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Special Guest of Honour, emphasized that sustainable administration relies on deliberate public sector mentorship and institutional continuity. He recalled his early career entry into public service as a 36-year-old Special Adviser under then-Governor Bola Tinubu in 2001. Sanwo-Olu noted that structured youth empowerment has been a continuous administrative model in Lagos for over two decades. He advised young people to create opportunities for themselves and others, rather than waiting for them to be handed down.
International development economist and former African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, delivered the inaugural keynote address, titled "Africa Next: Building the Demographic Asset Class." He urged African nations to pivot from viewing expanding populations merely as demographic metrics to developing them into high-value economic assets. Adesina stressed the critical necessity of prioritizing primary human capital investment, describing education as a compounding economic asset.
Dr. Adesina attributed his career to his father's direct prioritization of quality education over material inheritance. He urged Nigerian youths to position themselves as direct creators and architects of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), tailored to domestic economic needs. Adesina emphasized that Africa must not be merely a consumer of artificial intelligence developed elsewhere but must be a creator, an adapter, and a shaper of AI.
The event featured panel discussions on technology, enterprise, and governance, with key dignitaries in attendance. These included the Speaker of Lagos State Assembly, Dr. Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, and the Lagos State Head of Service, Akinyemi Bankole Ajayi. The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, and the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy of Nigeria, Hannatu Musawa, were also in attendance.
The Seyi Tinubu Colloquium aimed to create a platform for policy alignment and intergenerational dialogue, bringing together state governors, federal cabinet ministers, traditional rulers, and youth delegations. The event provided a forum for leaders to emphasize the importance of youth inclusion in governance and to discuss the trajectory of Nigeria's economic reforms. The colloquium is conceived as an annual national platform for policy alignment and intergenerational dialogue.
Key points
- Nigerian leaders emphasize the need for youth inclusion in national governance at the Seyi Tinubu Colloquium.
- The event aimed to create a platform for policy alignment and intergenerational dialogue.
- Dr. Akinwumi Adesina urges African nations to prioritize primary human capital investment and develop young populations into high-value economic assets.
