The Minister of Youth Olawande explained the delay in the long-awaited national youth conference

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has convinced Nigerian young people that plans are ongoing to launch the first phase of the long-awaited national youth conference: digital portal for registration.

Speaking during a direct performance at the Channels Television Youth Forum on Thursday, Olawande acknowledged the impatience and enthusiasm of the young Nigerian population, the desire he shared, but emphasized the importance of methodical planning for lasting impacts.

“My generation wants everything quickly,” the Minister admitted, “But I also realize that there is nothing you can get without proper planning. So for us, in a few days, we will come out with the first layer, which is the launch of the portal because we want transparency.”

The upcoming portal, according to Olawande, will function as an inclusive gate for Nigerian youth in all federal electoral districts to participate in the proposed 30 -day National Youth Summit. While the date of the launch is not disclosed, the portal is expected to be activated immediately as part of the conference buildup.

Summit, was first announced by the President of Tinubu Bola during the 64th Independence Day Nigeria on October 1, 2024, designed as a national platform for dialogue led by young people about the challenges and opportunities of the country. Tinubu has stressed that the conference will involve direct involvement with youth representatives and that the results will be implemented as part of the broader government agenda for national inclusiveness and development.

For Olawande, this peak is not about optics. “Many people say that Confab is about politics,” he said, “I am a politician, no doubt, but again, we want to do it differently for the first time and we want to see if we can get, which we will get, different results.”

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He explained that the conference would be revealed in stages: first at the grassroots level in all federal electoral districts, then in all six geopolitical zones, before cultivating at the national event. This tiered approach, he said, was intended to ensure that the sounds of Nigerian young people from every corner of the country were included.

More importantly, Olawande emphasized that the implementation of the Summit resolution would not be rhetorical. “Even at the committee level, no one is in the committee as an individual,” he said. “We want to ensure that at the end of the conference, I must be able to provide communication on FEC [Federal Executive Council] And say, ‘This is the executive direction. It must be passed. ‘”

President Tinubu also stated that the federal government was committed to considering and acting based on recommendations that emerged from the Summit, describing the event as a vehicle to empower Nigerian youth and position them as the main contributor for national development.

With more than 60 percent of the Nigerian population under the age of 30, the upcoming summit brings significant hope. For Olawande and many of his colleagues, this is an opportunity not only for involvement, but for meaningful transformation of policies, it is conveyed not to be rushed, but with consideration and depth.

“His vision is not just to speak,” Olawande said, “but to ensure that what comes out of the conversation becomes something that shapes our way of governing. We want to be responsible to our generation.”