President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the launch of a 30-day National Youth Conference aimed at empowering young Nigerians and harnessing their creative energy for a better future.
The president made this announcement on Tuesday in a national broadcast marking Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary.
According to the president, the conference, which will bring together youth representatives from across the country, will address key challenges and opportunities in areas such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice, Tinubu said. The initiative seeks to ensure that Nigerian youths—who make up over 60% of the population—play a pivotal role in shaping policies that directly impact their lives.
“As we work to overcome the challenges of the day, we remain mindful of the next generation as we seek to galvanize their creative energy towards a better future,” President Tinubu said. He emphasized the importance of youth participation in nation-building, adding that the government will carefully consider and implement the conference’s recommendations.
In addition to the conference, the President outlined several youth-centric programs his administration is implementing, including the 3 Million Technical Talents Programme (3MTT) to build Nigeria’s technical workforce and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which offers affordable loans for tertiary education.
Tinubu also announced the forthcoming Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), set to launch later this month. The initiative aims to create 2.5 million jobs annually while ensuring the welfare and safety of workers across the country.
“Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations,” Tinubu added. He highlighted that the conference’s outcomes would provoke meaningful dialogue and empower young people to actively participate in shaping the nation’s future.