Youth confab: FG targets 360 constituencies

The Federal Government announced its intention to hold the National Youth Confab in October 2026, according to Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande. This decision follows President Bola Tinubu's pledge in October 2024 during his Independence Day broadcast. The Minister defended the delay, stating that the planning was deliberate and aimed to avoid the political issues that delayed the recommendations from the 2014 National Conference.

The conference, themed "Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future," aims to involve young people in developing solutions for Nigeria's future, rather than just participating in discussions. The two-week event will include a virtual consultation phase followed by a physical conference in Abuja, with one delegate from each of Nigeria's 360 federal constituencies and six delegates from the diaspora.

The confab will focus on six pillars: governance, the economy, education, technology, climate change, and security. Olawande emphasized that the confab is not intended to be another youth conference where speeches are delivered and nothing changes; instead, it will be a platform for listening, engagement, cooperation, and taking concrete actions.