Youth Confab: FG Calls for Practical Ideas on Jobs, Skills and Development
Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande has urged participants at the National Youth Confab 2026 to develop workable responses to challenges facing young Nigerians, including employment, education, access to finance, digital inclusion and security.
The Federal Government has asked young Nigerians participating in the National Youth Confab 2026 to focus on workable proposals that can address challenges affecting their lives and opportunities.
Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande made the call while opening the conference at the National Counter Terrorism Centre Auditorium in Abuja on Friday. His remarks were contained in a statement issued by the ministry's Director of Information and Public Relations, Omolara Esan.
Olawande identified employment, education, skills development, access to funding, entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and security among the issues requiring attention. He encouraged delegates to propose achievable measures, partnerships and ways of improving access to government programmes and opportunities.
The minister also highlighted the contribution of young Nigerians to technology, business, the creative economy, innovation, civic participation and community development. He called for closer cooperation among government institutions, businesses, civil society groups, development organisations and youth-led bodies.
Permanent Secretary Maryam Ismaila Keshinro said the gathering gives young people an avenue to contribute ideas on governance, leadership, employment, entrepreneurship, education, digital skills, peacebuilding and national unity. She urged participants to ensure that discussions lead to measurable outcomes.
National Youth Service Corps Director-General Olakunle Olaseye Nafiu also stressed the importance of including young people in national discussions and decision-making processes.
Technology will form part of how submissions from the conference are handled. National Information Technology Development Agency Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said artificial intelligence and other technology would be used to organise and analyse ideas and concerns raised by participants, with the information intended to support policymaking.
Nigerian Youth Parliament Speaker Aliyu Idris Zakari called for continued youth involvement in governance and national development, while National Association of Nigerian Students President Akinteye Babatunde Afeez urged greater attention to education, jobs, skills, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and youth participation in government.
Afeez also called on authorities to ensure that recommendations from the conference are followed by policies and programmes capable of producing tangible improvements for young Nigerians.