THE Federal Government on Saturday fixed February 2025 for the National Youth Conference.
A source in the Presidency told News Point Nigeria that an official annoucnement will be made soon.
“The Youth Conference will take place in February next year and an official announcement will be made soon”, the source said.
President Bola Tinubu, during his Independence Day broadcast, announced the gathering of a 30-day national youth conference to address critical issues facing the country’s youths, including unemployment, education, and political participation.
This is as various youth groups across the country expressed disappointment over the presidency’s silence on the proposed confab.
The planned conference was part of the administration’s response to the youth-led protests, including #EndBadGovernance in August 2024 and the #FearlessOctober in October 2024.
“The conference aims to provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow,” the President said.
The conference was greeted with mixed reactions as most youths welcomed the idea.
But almost three months after Tinubu’s pronouncement, no further announcement has been made as some youth groups expressed frustration.
The groups, including Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yoruba Youths Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and the Ijaw National Congress, accused the Tinubu-led government of neglecting its commitment to addressing the challenges confronting Nigerian youths.
The National President of AYCF, Zaid Ayuba, said the delay in organising the confab was disappointing.
“We express our profound disappointment with the government’s inability to organise the much-anticipated national youth conference.
“Our disappointment stems from two key points. First, in an ideal society, a statement or directive from the president should automatically translate into executive action, reflecting the government’s commitment to follow through.
“The President’s announcement of such a conference was an opportunity for all Nigerians to witness a decisive mandate to bring it to fruition. However, this failed to materialise at a critical time, which deeply disheartened us.
“Second, as representatives of Nigeria’s largest demographic—the youth—we viewed this conference as a platform to present innovative ideas and solutions for the nation’s progress. It was supposed to be an avenue where the voices of young Nigerians could be amplified. Unfortunately, the conference did not happen, leaving us disappointed and marginalised.
“While we are disheartened by this missed opportunity, we remain hopeful. We call on the president to prioritise organising this critical National League Conference as the first major event of 2025,” Ayuba said.
On his part, the President of the Yoruba Youths Council, Eric Oluwole, lamented what he called the continued neglect of youths by the Tinubu administration.
“I can say categorically that Nigerian youths are not happy with Tinubu on the delay in organising the national youth conference as proposed by him. It was our belief that the confab would hold as early as possible but when you look at the whole thing now, it is like they have forgotten about it and the conference might no longer hold.
“We are already planning a meeting of Nigerian youths to remind the Federal Government that we are not going to relent until we achieve our goal, because we believe that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We also have the power to decide the country’s political future.
“One of our major demands is youth inclusion in governance because we make up 70 per cent of the country’s population and there is no way the government can sideline youths while making important policy decisions,” Oluwole said.
The spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, said Tinubu’s lack of action on the proposed confab undermined his administration’s credibility.
Ogbonnia said, “The youth confab is to the advantage of the President and shouldn’t be delayed any further because it will enable the President to know the yearnings of the youth. It is very important for the confab to hold.”
Also speaking, the National Publicity Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, Ezonebi Oyekemeagbegha, warned that Tinubu’s inaction on the confab could lead to disengagement and apathy among the country’s youths.