FG sets October for national youth confab, 360 delegates to attend

The federal government has scheduled the National Youth Conference for October, with 360 delegates expected to represent the country’s federal constituencies.

The conference, which was originally announced by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024, is aimed at giving young Nigerians a stronger voice in national affairs.

Tinubu had announced plans for a 30-day national youth conference as part of efforts to engage young people in discussions about the country’s future.

The government later said the conference would begin in February 2025, with three weeks of consultations across the country followed by a one-week meeting of youth delegates in Abuja.

The conference, however, did not hold as planned.

In March 2025, Tinubu inaugurated a 44-member committee to plan the conference, while the government launched an online registration portal in June.

In a statement on Wednesday, Olubunmi Olusanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Development and chairman of the planning committee, said the conference would now take place over two weeks in October.

According to him, the conference is designed to move youth engagement beyond consultations and give young Nigerians a direct role in shaping policies and national development.

“It will bring together young Nigerians from across the country and the diaspora to identify challenges, propose practical solutions and develop actionable recommendations for government and other relevant institutions,” Mr Olusanya said.