The Federal Government appears to be deliberately delaying on the 30-day confab for youths in the nation, which President Bola Tinubu pledged to address and debate the issues they face.
During Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day Anniversary Broadcast on October 1, 2024, Tinubu promised to call the confab conference and stated that the procedures and delegate selection will be planned “as soon as possible.”
According to reports, the pledge was made in reaction to the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations that young people across had already planned between August 1 and August 10, 2024.
It is anticipated that “Next-Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future” will be the theme of the conference.
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The protests stemmed from Nigeria’s growing economic hardship and hunger which was due to record inflation, especially on food prices.
The removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the Naira when its peg to the US dollar was removed, two measures intended to liberalise the Nigerian economy and draw in foreign investment, were cited by some experts as the reasons behind the protests.
According to reports, security forces killed a large number of people, primarily young people, in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. On the first day of the rallies, four people were reportedly shot dead in Borno and four in Niger.
There have been reports of at least 14 protester deaths, including three in Kaduna and two in Jigawa.
Following the arrest, detention, and arraignment of numerous demonstrators who were judged to be juveniles in violation of the statute that prohibits the prosecution of minors, security forces’ response to the protests sparked widespread indignation.
The president’s message was necessary to end the demonstrations.
However, Tinubu pledged to hold a National Youth Conference “to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people” in a different broadcast on October 1, 2024, to commemorate the National Day Anniversary.
Ten months later, it was discovered that the confab’s preparations had only begun a few weeks prior, with the registration system becoming live and ending in mid-July.
To make things worse, a lot of activists who talked to newsmen said they didn’t know about the confab registration page that allows members to sign up and encourages them to take part in the process.
Interestingly, the 2025 Budget contained no funding for the confab conference, which led many activists to believe that the government was not serious about hosting it.
Meanwhile, the Planning Committee claims that before any action may be taken, it still needs the president’s final consent and the necessary security clearance.
In an exclusive interview in Abuja, Chief Obinna Nwaka, Chairman of the Contact and Mobilisation Subcommittee of the National Youth Conference Planning Committee, revealed that 90 per cent of the planning process was already complete, with only final authorisations pending.
“We’re just waiting for the final memo from Mr. President so we can begin. We’re almost there, 80%. In fact, 90% of the planning stage is complete. Now it’s about execution, and we’re nearly ready. Yes! We’re just waiting for the memo from the government,” Nwaka stated.
According to him, the conference aims to engage 36,000 young people from Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies and had already received over 155,000 registrations.
From this number, 100 participants will be selected from each constituency as participants in the special youth initiative.
The programme will begin at the constituency level before moving on to zonal conferences in key states: Imo (South-East), Bauchi (North-East), Kano (North-West), and Lafia (North-Central).
According to Nwaka, this structure is aimed at ensuring balanced representation and fostering national unity. Although no date has been officially confirmed, Nwaka assured that the event will hold soon.
“The conference will take place soon, and we’ll make an official announcement shortly,” he said.
Nigerian Youths demand answers
Following this, a human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has described the delay of the confab ten months after Tinubu’s promise as concerning, saying the Nigerian youth deserve clarity.
Adeyanju said: “It has been ten months since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the National Youth Confab in his Independence Day address on October 1, 2024, under the theme: ‘Next-Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future’.
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“The conference, which was proposed to run for 30 days in the first quarter of 2025, was widely welcomed by young Nigerians as a bold and inclusive initiative. However, the lack of any further communication or indication of preparedness has raised serious concerns.
“This prolonged silence is troubling. It risks sending the message that the confab may have been a symbolic gesture rather than a strategic policy initiative. Nigerian youth are key players in shaping national progress. Any delay or lack of transparency on issues that concern them only contributes to growing distrust between government and its young population.
A body identified as ActionAid Nigeria has also called on Nigerian youths to ensure that their silence does not mirror the silence of the government, stating that are not just the future of the country; they are the present.
“We urge Nigerian youth to continue demanding answers, to organise constructively, and to amplify their voices through all available civic spaces. “The delay in convening the Youth Confab does not invalidate their demands. Rather, it reinforces the need to sustain the struggle for meaningful inclusion.
“At ActionAid Nigeria, we stand in solidarity with young people. We encourage them to keep asking critical questions and to continue holding those in power to account.
On his part, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and Chairman, Transparency International, TI, Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, expressed pain over the long silence over the National Youth Conference, describing it as an “unfortunate missed opportunity”, while speaking on pertinent issues concerning young Nigerians and the way and manner government treats them.
Similarly, Jerry Tobi Olanrewaju, the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Council of Agriculture and Food Security’s Youth Representative, also voiced his displeasure with the lengthy quiet and the postponement of the Youth Confab.
