The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, says the Federal Government is considering getting Nigerian youths living abroad to participate in the 30-day Youth Confab being planned.
Olawande also stated that the Youth Confab may be held before the end of the year, noting, however, that the details and modalities for the confab would be made available in the coming weeks.
The minister made this known to our correspondent in an interview at his office on Monday.
President Bola Tinubu, in his Independence Day address on October 1, 2024, announced his administration’s plan to hold a 30-day Youth Confab to address challenges facing the youth in the country, who account for over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s total population.
The President said the Confab would unite the young people in the country to “develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice.”
“The modalities of this confab and the 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 President added.
Providing more details on the modalities for the confab, Olawande said deliberations were still ongoing with stakeholders, noting, however, that youths in the diaspora would be invited to share ideas on adapting innovative strategies for the country.
He added that the confab will also involve youths from “towns, villages, local areas, urban areas, and everywhere” across the country.
“The guideline for the confab is going to come out very soon. We are having our strategic meetings following the Presidential announcement, and once it is finalised, it will be made public.
It is not only the Ministry of Youth—like I told you, it is a partnership with everyone. Those participating are young people from all over the country, and if we have our way, the participation will even extend to young people in the diaspora.
“We will select some of them who have experience and can provide insights into the best approaches we can take. We would love to invite some of them, but not as many as those from within the country. It will involve youths from towns, villages, local areas, urban centers—essentially everywhere we have young people in Nigeria. Even on platforms like X Space, we will engage participants and invite them to contribute. But we don’t want discussions to be solely about the problems. Everyone knows there are issues, so let’s come together and focus on solutions,” he said.
Olawande also stated that the date for the commencement of the confab will be communicated soon, adding that the event will be “quick and fast.”
“It will be communicated very soon. But we know it is going to be quick and fast, so that implementation can also be quick and fast. We are committed to this. Hopefully, before the end of this year. In the next couple of weeks—two to three weeks—we will have the guidelines and we will roll them out,” he said.
