By FRANCA OFILI

The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, has announced that more 36,000 Nigerian youths will participate in the upcoming National Youth Confab 2025.

Olawande said this in Abuja on Monday during a press conference to officially launch the registration process and unveil the conference website.

“The conference, also known as Youth Confab 2025, has the theme ‘Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future’,” he stated.

“This is more than just a conference. It is a generational turning point, a national movement, and a call to action.

“It is a platform for us to listen, learn, and lead together,” Olawande added.

He explained that the conference would provide young Nigerians from every ward, community, state, and the diaspora an opportunity to unite, engage, and reshape the country’s future.

With more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 35, the minister emphasised that the nation’s destiny was directly tied to the creativity, energy, and aspirations of its youth.

He noted that the Confab would follow a multi-level, participatory process, including diaspora virtual engagements to ensure that Nigerians abroad could contribute meaningfully.

“There will be consultations across all 360 federal constituencies to ensure that every young Nigerian has a voice.

“Zonal consolidation meetings will also be held across the six geopolitical zones to harmonise grassroots opinions,” he explained.

According to the minister, the conference will co-create youth-informed, youth-approved, and youth-led solutions across six thematic pillars, such as Governance, Participation, Leadership, and Politics

Others are Economic Transformation, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation.

Education and Skills for the Future.

Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation. Climate Change and Energy Transition. Social Inclusion and Security.

Olawande said that the implementation of the conference would be guided by the principles of transparency, respect, inclusivity, and innovation.

“I am pleased to announce the launch of the official Youth Confab portal: https://nationalyouthconfab.gov.ng, which will serve as the central hub for delegate registration, public contributions, and real-time updates throughout this national process.”

He encouraged every young Nigerian to seize the opportunity, calling it a moment of “hope and healing, a chance to move from protest to policy, from problems to solutions, and from challenges to progress.”

“The registration deadline is June 30 at 6 p.m.,” he added.

In his opening remarks, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and Chairman of the National Planning Committee, echoed the sentiment that the conference was not just another event.

“This is a strategic platform designed to amplify the voices, dreams, and innovative solutions of young Nigerians from every corner of the nation,” Olusanya said.

He described the portal as a “digital gateway to the confab’s success,” enabling seamless delegate registration, broad virtual consultations, and serving as the primary hub for conference information and interactions.

“By unveiling this digital gateway, we are opening the door to nationwide participation, collaboration, and bold ideas that will shape the future of our country,” he said. (NAN)

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