By Joyce Ekeh
The Federal Government has challenged delegates to the 2026 National Youth Conference to move beyond speeches and discussions and produce concrete recommendations capable of addressing the challenges confronting millions of young Nigerians.
The government said the conference must translate ideas generated during nationwide virtual consultations into practical action plans that would influence policies on employment, education, skills development, security and other critical areas of youth development.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, gave the charge in Abuja during the opening of the physical phase of the conference, warning delegates against turning the gathering into another talk shop without measurable outcomes.
Olawande said the success of the conference would ultimately be determined by the quality of its recommendations and their capacity to guide government decisions and deliver tangible benefits to young people.
“Our responsibility now is to carefully examine the issues raised and the proposals received during the virtual consultations. We must identify the most serious challenges, review the solutions already proposed, and develop clear, practical and achievable action plans that can guide government decisions,” the minister said.
He explained that the virtual consultations had brought together young Nigerians from all states of the federation, providing an opportunity for them to contribute to discussions on governance, employment, education, technology, climate change, peace and security, as well as national unity.
According to him, the conference was designed to give young Nigerians a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their future, beyond existing government interventions in education, skills acquisition, business support and job creation.
The minister stressed that delegates must recognise the responsibility attached to their participation, noting that the outcome of their deliberations would have implications for millions of young people who were not physically represented at the gathering.
“We are not here just to speak to ourselves. We are here to help shape decisions that will affect millions of young Nigerians who are not in this room. That is a duty we must take seriously,” he said.
Olawande urged participants to accommodate divergent opinions, engage constructively and work towards recommendations that could be implemented through realistic policy interventions.
He said the conference provided an opportunity for young Nigerians to move from identifying longstanding challenges to proposing workable solutions that would improve their social and economic conditions.
The minister’s challenge places the focus on the expected outcomes of the conference, particularly how recommendations from the delegates will be translated into government policies and programmes capable of responding to the expectations of young Nigerians.
He urged participants to approach the deliberations with seriousness and a shared commitment to producing outcomes that would extend beyond the conference venue.
