Tinubu Orders Implementation of Youth Confab Recommendations, Demands Clear Timelines
Tinubu Orders Implementation of Youth Confab Recommendations, Demands Clear Timelines
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to begin immediate implementation of recommendations from the 2026 National Youth Conference, warning that the outcome must not end up as another government report without tangible results.
Tinubu also insisted that young Nigerians must be actively involved in implementing and monitoring the recommendations, rather than being restricted to consultations and discussions.
The President gave the directive on Monday at the closing ceremony of the National Youth Conference held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. He was represented at the event by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
According to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Tinubu directed the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, the private sector and development partners to develop an implementation framework.Follow Politics
The framework, he said, must contain clear priorities, assigned responsibilities, realistic timelines and measurable indicators to track progress.
“The real test of this Conference begins after today. I do not want the recommendations of this Conference to become another report gathering dust on government shelves. I want them to become a guide for action,” the President said.
He further stressed the need to give young Nigerians a direct role in the implementation process.
“You must not be invited to the table only when decisions are being discussed. You must also have a place at the table when those decisions are being implemented,” Tinubu said.
Acknowledging the challenges confronting young Nigerians, including unemployment, rising living costs, limited access to education, business opportunities and insecurity, the President said his administration was committed to addressing their concerns through ongoing economic reforms and investments.
He cited initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Three Million Technical Talent programme, YouthCred and the Nigerian Youth Academy as part of efforts to expand opportunities for young people.
Tinubu, however, emphasised the need to ensure that skills development leads to employment, innovation attracts investment and young entrepreneurs gain improved access to financing.
He commended the Ministry of Youth Development, the Conference Planning Committee and participating delegates for their contributions, noting that Nigerian youths had demonstrated the capacity to contribute to national development.
Earlier, the Minister of Youth Development, Olawande, disclosed that the conference had produced an 18-point action agenda covering six priority areas.
He said the recommendations emerged from nationwide virtual consultations and physical deliberations involving youth representatives from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
Olawande described the conference as an important step towards strengthening youth participation in national decision-making, adding that the ministry would work to ensure that the recommendations translated into policies, programmes and opportunities.
“For the first time in the history of this country, the youth can feel the government, see the government, and touch the government,” the minister said.
He explained that the recommendations would be pursued through the relevant executive, legislative and judicial channels to secure the necessary institutional support.
The Minister also thanked Tinubu for providing the platform, saying the conference had enabled young Nigerians to move beyond expressing their concerns to participating in developing solutions.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, urged young Nigerians to take a more active role in shaping the country’s economic future and strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s investment environment.
Oyedele warned that negative perceptions and distorted narratives about the country could discourage investors, weaken economic confidence and limit employment and business opportunities for young people.
“A factory that is not built means jobs that are not created,” he said, urging the delegates to embrace constructive engagement, innovation and practical solutions to national challenges.
He also stressed the importance of translating economic progress into improved living conditions through investment, increased production, job creation and shared prosperity.
The National Youth Conference was organised by the Tinubu administration to bring together young Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to discuss national issues and develop recommendations on youth participation in governance, economic development and nation-building.
With Tinubu’s directive, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development is expected to work with relevant stakeholders to establish an implementation framework, while young Nigerians are expected to participate in monitoring the execution of the conference recommendations.
