The Federal Authorities on Saturday mounted February 2025 for the nationwide youth convention.
President Bola Tinubu, throughout his Independence Day broadcast, introduced the gathering of a 30-day nationwide youth convention to handle important points dealing with the nation’s youths, together with unemployment, schooling, and political participation.
That is as varied youth teams throughout the nation expressed disappointment over the presidency’s silence on the proposed confab.
The deliberate convention was a part of the administration’s response to the youth-led protests, together with #EndBadGovernance in August 2024 and the #FearlessOctober in October 2024.
“The convention goals to impress significant dialogue and empower our younger individuals to take part actively in nation-building. By making certain that their voices are heard in shaping the insurance policies that influence their lives, we’re making a pathway for a brighter tomorrow,” the President stated.
The convention was greeted with blended reactions as some youths welcomed the concept.
However virtually three months after Tinubu’s pronouncement, no additional announcement has been made as some youth teams expressed frustration.
The teams, together with Arewa Youth Consultative Discussion board, Yoruba Youths Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and the Ijaw Nationwide Congress, accused the Tinubu-led authorities of neglecting its dedication to addressing the challenges confronting Nigerian youths.
The Nationwide President of AYCF, Zaid Ayuba, stated the delay in organising the confab was disappointing and confirmed Tinubu’s lack of curiosity in youth growth.
“We categorical our profound disappointment with the federal government’s incapacity to organise the much-anticipated nationwide youth convention.
“Our disappointment stems from two key factors. First, in a great society, a press release or directive from the president ought to mechanically translate into govt motion, reflecting the federal government’s dedication to comply with by.
“The President’s announcement of such a convention was a chance for all Nigerians to witness a decisive mandate to convey it to fruition. Nonetheless, this did not materialise at a important time, which deeply disheartened us.
“Second, as representatives of Nigeria’s largest demographic—the youth—we considered this convention as a platform to current modern concepts and options for the nation’s progress. It was presupposed to be an avenue the place the voices of younger Nigerians might be amplified. Sadly, the convention didn’t occur, leaving us disenchanted and marginalised.
“Whereas we’re disheartened by this missed alternative, we stay hopeful. We name on the president to prioritise organising this important Nationwide League Convention as the primary main occasion of 2025,” Ayuba stated.
On his half, the President of the Yoruba Youths Council, Eric Oluwole, lamented what he known as the continued neglect of youths by the Tinubu administration.
“I can say categorically that Nigerian youths should not pleased with Tinubu on the delay in organising the nationwide youth convention as proposed by him. It was our perception that the confab would maintain as early as potential however while you have a look at the entire thing now, it’s like they’ve forgotten about it and the convention may now not maintain.
“We’re already planning a gathering of Nigerian youths to remind the Federal Authorities that we’re not going to relent till we obtain our aim, as a result of we consider that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We even have the facility to determine the nation’s political future.
“Considered one of our main calls for is youth inclusion in governance as a result of we make up 70 per cent of the nation’s inhabitants and there’s no manner the federal government can sideline youths whereas making necessary coverage selections,” Oluwole stated.
The spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, stated Tinubu’s lack of motion on the proposed confab undermined his administration’s credibility and integrity.
Ogbonnia stated, “The youth confab is to the benefit of the President and shouldn’t be delayed any additional as a result of it’s going to allow the President to know the yearnings of the youth. It is rather necessary for the confab to carry.”
Additionally talking, the Nationwide Publicity Secretary of Ijaw Nationwide Congress, Ezonebi Oyekemeagbegha, warned that Tinubu’s inaction on the confab may result in disengagement and apathy among the many nation’s youths.
He urged the presidency to offer updates and a concrete timeline for the convention, insisting that the confab was vital for addressing the escalating unemployment price, mind drain, and rising social unrest amongst younger individuals.
Oyekemeagbegha stated, “It’s good that every time our leaders, significantly the President, make a promise; he should make aware efforts to satisfy it. It’s unlucky that the confab is but to be held. We anticipate that the President ought to have met with the youth, significantly this time when there may be quite a lot of hardship and there’s a want for the President to satisfy with the youth and different stakeholders in resolving among the challenges confronting the nation.”
The Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Motion, Peluola Adewale, described the convention as a “diversionary tactic” by Tinubu to placate youths in the course of the #EndBadGovernance protest.
“It (confab) was a charade ab initio. The Tinubu authorities was by no means honest about it. It was meant to bribe a piece of younger individuals on the interval of an upswing within the #EndBadGovernance motion. At current, there’s a seeming lull within the battle, although the mass anger remains to be extremely intense.
“So, the federal government apparently doesn’t see an instantaneous want for the youth convention in the meanwhile. I feel it’s instructive to say that given the intensification of anti-poor insurance policies, the rising impoverishment of bizarre individuals and the related mass anger, one other mass battle could escape once more.
“That is regardless of the vicious assault on democratic rights and repression of dissent by the Tinubu authorities. No youth convention will forestall it. In any case, the youth convention is a sheer waste of public sources and one other avenue for looting of public funds,” Adewale stated.
FG fixes February 2025
Responding to enquiries by Sunday PUNCH, the Federal Authorities stated it plans to start the month-long convention in February 2025.
The Minister of Youth Growth, Mr Ayodele Olawande, stated delegates would solely converge on the FCT, Abuja, for one week after spending three weeks participating youths on the grassroots.
“We are going to do the confab by the primary week of February. It’s not going to be the standard confab. That’s the reason about three weeks of this confab will probably be spent with the grassroots,” stated Olawande, who added that President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate chosen delegates by mid-January.
Whereas offering updates on preparations for the confab on Saturday, the youth minister stated the occasion wouldn’t be a time to “discuss and spend cash.”
“Now we have modified the concept. The President has given us the go-ahead to provide you with one thing extra action-oriented, and after clarifying it with the Chief of Workers and getting his enter, we are going to announce the modalities earlier than the yr (2024) ends.
“We are going to announce the committees. We’ll hit the bottom working by mid-January or the final week of January. We are going to nominate representatives from every ministry and company to collaborate with the delegates.
“We are going to announce these individuals; the President will approve and inaugurate them, and we are going to do the confab correctly by the primary week of February. I can guarantee you that we’re going to the grassroots.”
He famous that the 30-day occasion would allocate two weeks to engagement in federal constituencies, adopted by one week in states and native authorities areas.
The ultimate week will contain a convergence on Abuja, the place all findings and progress will probably be reviewed and mentioned to formulate actionable steps.
Reflecting on earlier conferences, such because the 2014 confab, he emphasised the necessity for a contemporary and result-oriented strategy to keep away from repeating errors that yielded minimal outcomes.
“This era, we now have been what has been accomplished and the way we will do issues otherwise and higher. That’s the reason we’re taking our time as a result of we would like outcomes.
“As of now, we’re organising committees and giving them templates. We have to return to the place the challenges are the grassroots. We is not going to have the identical individuals in varied youth organisations who’ve at all times been there for a very long time and simply recruit them for the confab. We don’t assume that’s the proper step this time round.”
In October, Olawande, then Minister of State for Youth Growth, had stated the Federal Authorities would arrange a job power to implement the suggestions of the youth confab.
He argued that the duty power was vital to assist concretise the suggestions into govt orders or payments to be transmitted to the Nationwide Meeting.
“We are going to nonetheless ask the President to provide us an implementation job power in order that when we have to do an govt order, we will put it up instantly. These (suggestions) that have to go to the Nationwide Meeting, we will take it off, and we are going to begin having this as shortly as potential. So, it’s a accomplished deal,” Olawande famous.
He revealed that though the preliminary transient submitted to the President proposed 4 days for the dialogue, Tinubu really helpful one month as an alternative after listening to their plan to convey youths collectively for a dialogue.
“We’re getting ready to roll out issues very quickly with all stakeholders concerned, which the President has consented to,” Olawande said.
Reacting, the Nationwide President of the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian College students, Fortunate Emonefe, urged the Federal Authorities to expedite motion on the deliberate convention.
He famous that a part of the calls for NANS can be presenting on the confab was elevated youth participation in authorities, insisting that a minimum of half of all public management and decision-making positions should be held by younger individuals.
“We by no means anticipated that the convention would take this lengthy. This youth confab and engagement with the youth is essential. We urge the minister of youth to please expedite motion. Mr. President ought to put motion to his phrases to make sure that the convention takes place as a result of it is a chance for Nigerian youths to specific their thoughts, their challenges and calls for.
“We would like a state of affairs whereby like 50 per cent of presidency place can be occupied by youths in order that we will attend to the wants of the youth,” Emonefe stated.
