Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, has warned that Nigeria’s stability could be at risk if opportunities continue to elude the country’s young people.

Speaking in Abuja at the 10th anniversary celebration of the I Am Change (IAC) Organisation, a youth-led non-profit focused on sensitisation, education support, humanitarian relief, entrepreneurship, leadership training, and community mobilisation, Jega delivered a candid assessment of the worsening youth situation in the country.

He noted that despite representing nearly 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, many young people are trapped in an under-resourced education system, only to graduate into unemployment or insecure, informal work.

According to him, this vacuum leaves them vulnerable to negative political mobilisation, economic hardship, and disengagement from constructive civic participation.

Under such conditions, Jega said, the popular notion that “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” risks becoming empty rhetoric unless urgent corrective action is taken.

He urged federal and state governments to partner credible youth-focused organisations—such as IAC—led by committed, visionary Nigerians.

Beyond funding, he stressed the need for structural reforms that expand learning opportunities, build capacity, nurture leadership and create pathways for youth inclusion in governance.

While acknowledging government awareness of the risks posed by youth neglect, he criticised what he described as the “talk-heavy, action-light” nature of current interventions.

Only evidence-based, ethically grounded and consistently implemented policies, not token programmes or last-minute palliatives, can address the crisis, he said.

Jega, a former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), called for deliberate and sustained national investment in youth development, warning that Nigeria’s future would remain bleak without such commitment.

Reflecting on the IAC’s decade-long journey, he praised Executive Director Hafsatu Shinkafi, partners and volunteers for maintaining a vision that many youth-led initiatives fail to sustain.

In an era of rising individualism, he said, IAC has demonstrated “visionary focus, strong organisational capacity and useful energy,” achieving tangible community impact.

He described the organisation’s achievements as “phenomenal,” adding that they prove young Nigerians can build platforms that drive national progress.

He urged public institutions, development partners and well-meaning citizens to support such initiatives.

Jega also appealed to patriotic Nigerians, civil society groups and professional bodies to engage government constructively rather than merely lament the nation’s challenges. What Nigeria needs, he said, is “serious organising” to drive the positive change citizens seek.

As IAC marks 10 years, he urged the organisation to remain focused, scale its impact, and continue embodying the possibilities of youth-led leadership.

He received an award at the event in recognition of his support for the organisation, concluding with a prayer for its continued growth and service.

In her welcome address, Shinkafi warned that Nigeria risks “wasting an entire generation” if it continues to overlook the creativity, capacity and leadership potential of its youth.

She said IAC, founded in 2015 in response to structural injustices confronting young Nigerians, ranging from unemployment and insecurity to poor education and political exclusion, has spent the past decade proving that youth-driven civic action can shift national realities.
“Today is not just an anniversary; it is a decade of defying apathy and proving that Nigerian youth are not problems to manage but resources capable of rebuilding this nation,” she said.

She cited the “Not Too Young to Run” law as evidence that persistent civic advocacy can yield real political gains, noting that IAC has been decisive in mobilising young voices and strengthening democratic participation.

Shinkafi highlighted major IAC programmes, including the Leadership and Mentoring Academy, electoral engagement initiatives, Democracy Camp and the “It Starts With Me” civic-action project, which have nurtured young advocates, community organisers and emerging leaders nationwide.

She said the organisation’s impact is most evident in individual stories: out-of-school children returning to school, youth activists influencing local decisions and young people leading community campaigns.

Addressing hundreds of beneficiaries and dignitaries, including the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu—Shinkafi stressed that Nigeria must now move from inspiration to investment.
“We are not training the next generation for tomorrow,” she said. “We are training them to build Nigeria now. Because the future will not wait.”