The Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has challenged young Nigerians to move beyond political discussions and take an active role in building the institutions and systems that will shape the country’s future.

Adebayo made the call in Abuja while speaking to members of the Young Progressive Professionals who visited the national secretariat of the Social Democratic Party.

He said Nigeria’s younger generation could not afford to remain on the sidelines while decisions affecting their future were being made.

According to Adebayo, young Nigerians have a unique opportunity to participate directly in nation-building rather than simply inherit institutions created by previous generations.

He urged the professionals to expand their engagement beyond their immediate group and take conversations about governance into communities across the country.

Adebayo said political participation should not end with attending meetings or expressing opinions on social media, but should involve sustained engagement with citizens and communities.

He recalled his early involvement in the SDP in 1991 while studying law at the University of Ife.

Adebayo said his interest in the party followed his study of its manifesto and the recommendations of the Constitutional Assembly that informed Chapter Two of the Nigerian Constitution.

The SDP candidate argued that Nigeria needed a deliberate system for developing political leadership.

He said political parties should serve as training grounds where citizens acquire experience and learn the responsibilities of public service.

Adebayo identified poverty and insecurity as major challenges requiring institutional reforms, saying good governance could not be separated from strong institutions and accountability.

He said the SDP’s approach was centred on building a common national purpose, with emphasis on the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Chapter Two of the Constitution.

Adebayo also urged young professionals to encourage wider participation in political and civic activities, particularly among their peers.

He called for national cohesion, urging Nigerians to reject political ideas that promote division along ethnic, religious, regional or gender lines.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the SDP, Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, said the visit by the Young Progressive Professionals showed that young Nigerians still had hope in the country’s future.

Gombe urged young professionals to take a more active role in politics and support initiatives aimed at promoting what he described as competent and purposeful leadership.

He said the SDP’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Adebayo and Professor Usman Bugaje, were committed to what he described as an alternative approach to governance.

Also speaking, Bugaje said Nigeria required political will and competent leadership to address its development challenges.

He cited Japan, South Korea and Singapore as examples of countries that overcame difficult economic conditions through deliberate policies and effective leadership.

Earlier, the interim chairman of the Young Progressive Professionals, Emmanuel Fortunatus, said the group visited the SDP leadership to exchange views on Nigeria’s challenges.

Fortunatus said rising living costs, unemployment and economic pressures were making life increasingly difficult for many Nigerians.

He urged political leaders to address corruption, poverty and other issues affecting citizens.