The Federal Government has challenged delegates at the 2026 National Youth Conference to move beyond discussions and develop practical solutions to the challenges facing young Nigerians, especially unemployment, poor access to quality education, insecurity and inadequate skills development.
Government maintained that the conference should produce practical recommendations capable of influencing policies and improving opportunities for young people across the country.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who gave the charge in Abuja during the opening of the physical phase of the conference on Wednesday, urged participants to focus on identifying pressing challenges of youth and developing realistic strategies to address them.
Olawande said that the physical gathering provided an opportunity to examine issues raised during earlier virtual consultations involving young Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation.
According to him, the consultations addressed critical areas, including governance, employment, education, technology, climate change, peace and security as well as national unity.
He said that the next task was to evaluate the proposals generated during the consultations and translate them into clear action plans that could guide government policies and interventions.
“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,” he said.
The minister stressed that the conference was intended to give young Nigerians a meaningful opportunity to influence decisions affecting their future, rather than serve as another platform for speeches and discussions.
He stated that although government had introduced interventions in education, skills acquisition, business support and job creation, young people should also contribute ideas that would make such programmes more responsive to their needs.
“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,” Olawande said.
He also urged delegates to respect differing opinions, encourage constructive engagement and work towards recommendations that could translate into tangible benefits for young people.
The conference comes in the middle of growing concerns over youth unemployment, economic hardship, limited access to opportunities and the need to equip young Nigerians with relevant skills to compete in a technology-driven economy.
The outcome of the deliberations is expected to provide policy direction on addressing some of these challenges and strengthening youth participation in national development.
