President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday declared open the National Youth Confab 2026, urging young Nigerians to speak freely on national issues and contribute ideas that can shape decisions affecting their lives and the country’s future.
The President made the call as the Federal Government formally opened the youth engagement platform, themed “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future.”
Tinubu said the conference was designed to give young Nigerians more than a symbolic presence in national discussions.
“When I proposed this Confab, I wanted young Nigerians to have more than a seat in the room. Your experience and ambition should help shape the decisions that affect your lives,” the President said.
“SAY WHAT YOU THINK”
Tinubu specifically encouraged young Nigerians to express disagreement with government policies where they believe the policies are wrong.
He also asked participants to accompany criticism with alternative proposals. “Say what you think. Where you disagree with us, say so, and bring the alternative with you,” he said.
The President added that the government’s responsibility was to listen to the recommendations and act on proposals considered worthy of implementation.
“Our job as a government is to listen and act on what deserves action,” he said.
VIRTUAL CONSULTATIONS BEGIN
The President said the virtual consultation phase would run for two weeks, allowing young Nigerians to participate from different parts of the country and from the diaspora.
“The virtual consultations run for the next two weeks and are open to you wherever you are, at home or in the diaspora,” Tinubu said.
He added that he looked forward to receiving the participants’ recommendations and giving them serious consideration.
The official National Youth Conference platform lists the virtual phase for October 5 to 21, followed by the physical conference in Abuja from October 26 to 30.
WHAT THE CONFAB WILL DISCUSS
The Federal Government previously announced that the two-week engagement would combine nationwide virtual consultations with a physical conference in Abuja.
The process is expected to involve one youth delegate from each of Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies, alongside six representatives of Nigerians in the diaspora and other stakeholders.
Discussions will focus on six broad areas:
— Governance, leadership and political participation
— Economic transformation, entrepreneurship and job creation
— Education and skills development
— Technology, innovation and digital transformation
— Climate change and energy transition
— Social harmony and security
The official conference platform also identifies the same areas as the core pillars of the engagement.
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FROM DISCUSSION TO POLICY
The Federal Government has said the confab is intended to move beyond speeches and reports towards practical recommendations and implementation.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande previously said mechanisms including a Multi-Stakeholder Youth Confab Taskforce, a Youth Confab Impact Index and a youth-led monitoring and accountability framework would be established to track the outcomes.
Olawande also said the government wanted the process to move from conversation to concrete action.
The Federal Government has stated that the recommendations would be organised according to responsibilities of the executive, legislature and judiciary.
TINUBU AWAITS RECOMMENDATIONS
Tinubu said he expected the engagement to produce ideas that could contribute to national policymaking. “I look forward to receiving your recommendations and giving them the serious consideration they deserve,” he said.
The President’s invitation for young Nigerians to challenge government policies and propose alternatives comes as the confab begins its consultation phase.
ValidViewNetwork reports that the outcome of the engagement will ultimately depend on the recommendations produced, how they are considered by government institutions and whether proposals emerging from the consultations translate into concrete policy actions.