FG inaugurates State technical committees ahead of Confab 2025

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

In a move aimed at deepening youth participation in governance and national development, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, has officially inaugurated the State Technical Committees (STCs) for the forthcoming National Youth Conference, tagged Youth Confab 2025.

The virtual inauguration ceremony, held on Thursday, was presided over by the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, who described the development as a strategic step toward institutionalising youth inclusion, amplifying grassroots engagement, and shaping policy from the ground up.

Olawande noted that while Nigerian youths remain full of ideas and energy, their input in governance and decision-making processes has been largely overlooked. He explained that the Youth Confab aims to address this gap by creating a platform that allows young people to contribute meaningfully to national discourse and influence high-level policy outcomes. According to him, the inauguration of the STCs represents the operational kick-off of this nationwide engagement.

The Minister charged the committee members to facilitate community-based consultations across the 360 federal constituencies, encouraging inclusive participation that reflects the voices of women, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. He emphasised that the process must be driven by fairness, respect, and non-partisanship, with the overall aim of building consensus and generating grassroots-informed policy recommendations.

Olawande further outlined a structured framework to guide the Youth Confab process, beginning with constituency and diaspora consultations, to be followed by zonal consolidation meetings. These activities will culminate in a national conference in Abuja, where a unified Youth Confab Declaration is expected to emerge. A final policy blueprint is to be submitted to the President, alongside the launch of a Youth Confab Impact Index that will monitor implementation and track measurable progress.

The Minister expressed confidence in the capacity and commitment of the STC members, describing their roles as central to shaping a new narrative for Nigerian youth. He reiterated the government’s intention to ensure that the outcomes of the Confab are not only deliberated upon but integrated into national policy documents and executive-level decisions.

In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, called on committee members to uphold transparency, commitment, and inclusion throughout the process. He urged them to remain connected to the needs of young people at the grassroots level and serve as effective ambassadors of the Confab’s vision.

The Youth Confab 2025 is expected to be one of the most comprehensive national youth engagements in recent history, with wide-reaching consultations and a structured pathway to policy influence and action.