YAKUB ABDULRASHEED – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally opened the National Youth Confab 2026, calling on young Nigerians to actively contribute ideas, perspectives and alternatives that can influence decisions affecting their lives and the country’s future.
In a statement posted on the President’s X (formerly Twitter) account today to mark the opening, Tinubu said the initiative was designed to give young people more than symbolic representation in national affairs, stressing that their “experience and ambition should help shape the decisions that affect your lives.”
The President encouraged participants to speak freely, including where they disagree with government, provided they offer constructive alternatives.
“Say what you think. Where you disagree with us, say so, and bring the alternative with you,” he said.
Tinubu also announced that virtual consultations would continue for two weeks, allowing Nigerian youths at home and in the diaspora to participate and submit recommendations for government consideration.
What is the National Youth Confab?
The National Youth Confab is a youth-focused national consultation designed to create a structured platform through which young Nigerians can express their views, identify challenges and propose ideas on issues affecting their present circumstances and the country’s future.
According to Tinubu, the initiative was conceived to move beyond simply giving young people “a seat in the room” by creating an avenue for their experiences and ambitions to contribute meaningfully to public decision-making.
The 2026 edition also incorporates virtual consultations, which the President said would run for two weeks and remain open to young Nigerians wherever they are, at home or in the diaspora.
The format potentially broadens participation beyond those physically present, giving youths across different regions and circumstances an opportunity to contribute to the national conversation.
Why the Confab Matters to National Progress
The significance of the Confab lies in its potential to strengthen communication between government and the generation that will increasingly shape Nigeria’s social, economic and political future.
Tinubu’s invitation for young Nigerians to disagree with government and “bring the alternative with you” frames the exercise as a consultation rather than merely a ceremonial gathering.
Such a platform can become meaningful when recommendations emerging from it are carefully evaluated and translated into practical policies, programmes and institutional reforms.
The President said, “Our job as a government is to listen and act on what deserves action,” placing emphasis on the government’s responsibility to respond to credible recommendations.
He also said he looked forward to receiving the youths’ proposals and giving them “the serious consideration they deserve,” making the eventual handling of the recommendations an important measure of the Confab’s impact.
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