ABUJA, Nigeria, 5 November 2026: Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande has urged delegates at the 2026 National Youth Conference in Abuja to turn discussions into practical recommendations, saying the conference must deliver tangible outcomes for young Nigerians.

Olawande made the call on Wednesday at the opening of the conference’s physical phase at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, where delegates began reviewing proposals gathered during nationwide virtual consultations.

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The conference, themed “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future,” is scheduled to run from 4 to 9 November. Its outcome document is expected to inform government policy and be presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Our responsibility now is to carefully examine the issues raised and the proposals received during the virtual consultations.

We must identify the most serious challenges, review the solutions already proposed, and develop clear, practical and achievable action plans that can guide government decisions,” Olawande said.

The minister said the virtual phase had enabled young Nigerians from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to contribute views on governance, employment, education, skills development, technology, climate change, peace, security and national unity.

He stressed that the conference was intended to give young people a meaningful role in decisions affecting their lives, complementing existing government interventions in education, skills training, business support and job creation.

“We are not here just to speak to ourselves. We are here to help shape decisions that will affect millions of young Nigerians who are not in this room. That is a duty we must take seriously,” he said.

Olawande urged delegates to respect differing opinions and work towards proposals that could be translated into practical interventions, rather than allowing deliberations to end with a report.

The conference brings together young people from across the country, with its broader engagement designed to include representatives from Nigeria’s 360 federal constituencies and the diaspora.

Its six thematic areas cover governance and political participation, entrepreneurship and job creation, education and skills, technology and digital innovation, climate action, and security and social cohesion.

The government’s emphasis on implementation reflects concerns about the fate of earlier national conference recommendations.

The 2014 National Conference produced more than 600 recommendations, many of which were not implemented after the change of administration in 2015.

Before the 2026 confab, Olawande said the government intended to route proposals to the relevant arms of government and establish a mechanism to track implementation, rather than allow the outcome document to be shelved.

The conference’s success will therefore depend not only on the quality of delegates’ recommendations, but also on whether those proposals receive clear responsibilities, timelines and follow-through from government institutions.

For young Nigerians facing unemployment, rising living costs, gaps in education and skills training, and insecurity, the expectation is that the discussions will produce practical steps that can improve access to opportunities and strengthen participation in public life.

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Olawande’s message was clear: the confab must move beyond conversation and deliver actionable solutions capable of shaping policy and making a measurable difference.