Nigerian youth have called on the federal government to institutionalise youth representation and accountability mechanisms within its programmes for young Nigerians.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, youth organisations who came together to put down their demands, commended the federal government’s programmes Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) and Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) as a well thought out plan to better the lot of young Nigerians but insisted that they need to be part and parcel of the programmes at all levels.
The youth representatives , Haruna GODIYA of LEAP Africa; Paul Oladipupo of Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative; Nafisa Atiku - NAF Foundation for Young Women; Maimuna Sani of Youth for Community Engagement Coordination, Nigeria Youth Futures Fund; Samira Usman of S4Television and Dr. Onyeche Agbiti-Douglas, Project Director with Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, said for federal government’s interventions to achieve their intended impact, they must be co-created with youth.
They said: “These initiatives represent steps toward addressing the challenges of unemployment, educational access, and digital skills development.
“NELFUND, in particular, has the potential to widen educational opportunities for young Nigerians from low-income families.
However, for these interventions to achieve their intended impact, they must be co-created with youth. We therefore urge the Federal Government to institutionalise youth representation and accountability mechanisms within these programmes — including a Youth Advisory Body for NELFUND — to ensure transparency, responsiveness, and equitable access.”
They said they have come together to commemorate National Youth Day 2025 and to reaffirm their shared commitment to inclusive development, open governance, and youth-driven national transformation.
They added that this year’s theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” captures a defining reality: that the world is changing faster than ever before, and that young people are not just responding to this change — they are leading it.
They said: “Across the globe, technological advancements, from artificial intelligence and renewable energy to digital finance and biotechnology, are reshaping economies, societies, and the future of work. In the face of these shifts, young people stand as innovators, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders.
“In Nigeria, where over 60% of the population is under 30, youth are driving social transformation at the grassroots: building start-ups, leading advocacy for justice, designing tech solutions, and mobilising communities around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Their creativity and resilience underscore one truth — no sustainable progress can occur without youth leadership and inclusion.”
They jointly said: “We call for renewed commitment to open and participatory governance. Young people must not only be beneficiaries of policies but active co-drivers of national progress.
“To strengthen this commitment, we urge: Full implementation and periodic review of the National Youth Policy, backed by funding, transparency, and youth-led monitoring.
“Institutionalisation of open governance frameworks — including participatory budgeting, youth advisory councils, and digital accountability platforms at all levels of government.
“Increased investment in youth innovation, digital skills, and community development, enabling local youth actions to directly advance the SDGs.”
They decried that though young Nigerians are redefining leadership from peace-building in rural communities to innovation in tech hubs, they continue to create impact that transforms lives and systems, but yet many still face barriers of access to resources, platforms, and trust.”
They call on all stakeholders, that is, government, private sector, civil society, and international partners, to partner with young people not merely as beneficiaries but as co-creators of solutions, stressing that genuine partnership means shifting from rhetoric to sustained investment, collaboration, and shared accountability.”
0 Comments