President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised Nigerian youths a better future with a planned 30-day National Youth Conference aimed at addressing the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting young people in the country.
In his speech to mark Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day anniversary on Tuesday, Tinubu said his government had taken into consideration the fact that 60 per cent of the Nigerian population is made up of youths, most of whom are unemployed, and promised that his administration would unveil more plans to engage the youths by bringing them together in the confab where their voices would be heard, while provoking meaningful dialogue and empowering the young people to participate actively in nation-building.
He further stated that the 30-day confab would “unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice.”
“As we work to overcome the challenges of the day, we remain mindful of the next generation as we seek to galvanize their creative energy towards a better future,” Tinubu said.
‘We lead today with the future we wish to bequeath to our children in focus, recognizing that we cannot design a future that belongs to them without making them its architects.
“Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population.
“It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.
“The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives.
“Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations. The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”
He added that his administration will continue to implement several youth-centric programmes to give young people an advantage in the rapidly changing world.