President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s authorities has scheduled the nationwide youth convention for February 2025.

Recall that President Tinubu, in his Independence Day deal with months in the past,  revealed plans for a 30-day nationwide youth convention aimed toward tackling vital challenges confronting the nation’s youth, akin to unemployment, schooling, and political engagement.

Naija Information studies that the Confab schedule was introduced on Saturday in mild of varied youth organizations throughout the nation expressing dissatisfaction with the administration’s lack of communication relating to the proposed convention.

The initiative is a part of the federal government’s response to youth-led actions, together with the #EndBadGovernance protests in August 2024 and the #FearlessOctober demonstrations in October 2024.

“The convention seeks to foster constructive dialogue and empower our youth to take an lively position in nation-building. By amplifying their voices within the formulation of insurance policies that have an effect on their lives, we’re paving the way in which for a extra promising future,” acknowledged the President in October.

The convention announcement has elicited combined reactions, with some younger people supporting the initiative.

Nevertheless, almost three months after President Tinubu’s declaration, there was no additional communication, resulting in elevated frustration amongst sure youth teams.

Confab To Occur Within the First Week Of February 2025

Confirming the Confab schedule in the course of the weekend, the Minister of Youth Improvement, Ayodele Olawande, mentioned the occasion will take a flip totally different from the same old.

Whereas noting that the Confab will happen within the first week of February, Olawande mentioned 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 isn’t going to be the same old confab. That’s the reason about three weeks of this confab shall be spent with the grassroots,” The PUNCH quoted Olawande saying.

He added that President Tinubu would inaugurate chosen delegates by mid-January.

Whereas offering updates on preparations for the confab on Saturday, the youth minister mentioned the occasion wouldn’t be a time to “Discuss and spend cash.

“We have now 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 Employees and getting his enter, we’ll announce the modalities earlier than the 12 months (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 folks; the President will approve and inaugurate them, and we’ll do the confab correctly by the primary week of February. I can guarantee you that we’re going to the grassroots.”

He noticed that the 30-day initiative would dedicate two weeks to engagement inside federal constituencies, succeeded by one week centered on states and native authorities areas.

The concluding week will see a gathering in Abuja, the place all findings and developments shall be assessed and deliberated upon to develop actionable methods.

In mild of previous conferences, together with the 2014 confab, he underscored the significance of adopting a brand new and results-driven methodology to stop the recurrence of errors that produced restricted outcomes.

“This era, we’ve got been what has been performed and the way we will do issues in another way and higher. That’s the reason we’re taking our time as a result of we wish outcomes.

“As of now, we’re establishing 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 folks 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 suppose that’s the proper step this time round,” Olawande additional famous.

Naija Information recollects that Olawande mentioned in October that the federal authorities would arrange a activity pressure to implement the suggestions of the youth confab.

He argued that the duty pressure was mandatory to assist concretise the suggestions into government orders or payments to be transmitted to the Nationwide Meeting.

“We are going to nonetheless ask the President to offer us an implementation activity pressure in order that when we have to do an government order, we will put it up instantly. These (suggestions) have to go to the Nationwide Meeting, we will take it off, and we’ll begin having this as rapidly as attainable. So, it’s a performed deal,” Olawande famous.

He revealed that though the preliminary temporary submitted to the President proposed 4 days for the dialogue, Tinubu beneficial one month as an alternative after listening to their plan to carry youths collectively for a dialogue.

“We’re making ready to roll out issues very quickly with all stakeholders concerned, which the President has consented to,” Olawande acknowledged.

The Nationwide President of the Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian College students, Fortunate Emonefe, has referred to as on the Federal Authorities to take swift motion relating to the upcoming convention.

He emphasised that one of many key calls for NANS intends to current on the convention is the enhancement of youth involvement in governance, asserting {that a} minimal of fifty per cent of all public management and decision-making roles needs to be occupied by younger people.

“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. 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 precise their thoughts, their challenges and calls for.

“We wish a scenario whereby like 50 per cent of presidency place could be occupied by youths in order that we will attend to the wants of the youth,” Emonefe mentioned.