NIGERIA: FG Launches Registration Portal For 2025 National Youth Conference

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The Federal Government has launched the registration portal for the 2025 National Youth Conference, also known as Youth Confab 2025.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the launch on Monday in Abuja, stating that the conference would be youth-led, inclusive, and non-partisan.

According to him, the initiative aims to unite young Nigerians from across all wards, communities, states, and the diaspora to co-create solutions for the nation’s future.

Olawande noted that with over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 35, the country’s development is closely tied to the creativity, energy, and aspirations of its youth. He urged young people to transition from protest to policy and from challenges to solutions.

The conference will adopt a multi-level participatory format, featuring diaspora virtual engagements, consultations across all 360 federal constituencies, zonal consolidation meetings in the six geopolitical zones, and a national conference in Abuja.

Six thematic pillars will guide deliberations at the conference: Governance and Political Participation; Economic Transformation and Job Creation; Education and Skills; Technology and Innovation; Climate Change and Energy Transition; and Social Inclusion and Security.

The minister further assured that the process would be driven by transparency, inclusivity, and innovation. He encouraged students, entrepreneurs, creatives, artisans, professionals, and Nigerians in the diaspora to register on the newly launched portal and participate meaningfully.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the National Planning Committee for Youth Confab 2025, Olubunmi Olusanya, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to engaging young people through structured dialogue. He stated that the portal launch marks the beginning of key activities, including virtual consultations, policy paper submissions, constituency dialogues, and zonal consolidations.

Olusanya added that the format was designed to accommodate Nigeria’s diverse youth population with a focus on inclusion, respect, and equity. He disclosed that 36,000 youths are expected to participate at the federal constituency level, while 370 delegates will be selected for the zonal meetings. Nigerian youth in the diaspora will participate virtually.

The delegate selection process, he said, will be merit-based and transparent, with 90 per cent of participants aged between 18 and 35. The remaining 10 per cent will comprise older Nigerians to encourage intergenerational dialogue. A 50:50 gender balance will be maintained, and provisions will be made for persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups.