The Federal Government has unveiled plans for the 2026 National Youth Confab, saying the initiative is designed to give young Nigerians a direct role in shaping policies and solutions for the country’s future.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents on the proposed conference scheduled for October.
Olawande said the confab, themed “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future,” would move young Nigerians beyond the traditional description of being “leaders of tomorrow” to becoming active partners in national development.
He said the government recognises that young Nigerians must be involved in decisions that affect their present and future, noting that the conference would provide an inclusive platform for youths to share experiences, raise concerns and develop practical policy recommendations.
The Minister said the process would begin with about two weeks of virtual consultations involving Nigerians aged between 18 and 35, both within the country and in the diaspora.
According to him, a digital portal to be managed by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, will enable young Nigerians to submit ideas and policy proposals ahead of the physical conference in Abuja.
The physical confab is expected to bring together one youth delegate from each of Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies, alongside six representatives of Nigerians in the diaspora, stakeholders and observers.
The discussions will focus on six key areas: governance, leadership and political participation; economic transformation, entrepreneurship and job creation; education and skills for the future; technology, innovation and digital transformation; climate change and energy transition; as well as social harmony and security.
The Minister stressed that the initiative would not be another conference where participants make speeches and produce recommendations that are eventually left unimplemented.
He said structures, including a multi-stakeholder Youth Confab Task Force and a youth-led monitoring and accountability framework, would be established to track implementation and sustain engagement between young Nigerians and the government.
Olawande also called on young Nigerians across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the diaspora to participate actively in the process.
He appealed to political parties and their supporters to keep partisan politics away from the confab, insisting that the platform should belong to Nigerian youths.
“The Nigeria we want cannot be built by the government alone. It is our own energy, creativity, courage, innovation and commitment that will make this work.”
The Minister said the Federal Government was ready to listen to young Nigerians and work with them to develop solutions to the challenges facing the country.
He described the National Youth Confab as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between young Nigerians and the government, while reaffirming youths as stakeholders and partners in the Nigerian project.
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Editor: Ada Ononye
