Devt Goals: NILDS DG Decries Youth Exclusion, Unimplemented Policies, Electoral Manipulation

The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, has urged Nigeria to transform its approach to youth development, urging young Nigerians to transition from passive beneficiaries to active participants in policy-making and financial oversight. Addressing the 2026 State of the Nigerian Youth Dialogue in Abuja, Sulaiman emphasized the urgent need to move beyond mere dialogue and rhetoric to concrete, evidence-based interventions.

He cited the fact that 60% of Nigeria's population is under 30, highlighting the vast potential for creativity and economic growth among the country's youth.

Sulaiman lamented that young Nigerians continue to face significant socio-economic challenges, including unimplemented policies, unfulfilled political promises, and systemic exclusion from governance. He called for a shift from political rhetoric to strategic interventions anchored in evidence-based budgetary advocacy, policy accountability, and firm institutional commitments. The NILDS director expressed confidence that the dialogue would catalyze actionable policies and meaningful change for Nigerian youths.

He also criticized the systemic exclusion of young people from political processes, noting that they are often reduced to tools for electoral manipulation and violence. Sulaiman urged stakeholders to translate policy commitments into tangible budgetary allocations and measurable programs, ensuring that young Nigerians are not just passive recipients of government policies but active co-creators and monitors of public policy and finance.