Stakeholders have called for early leadership training for Nigerian youths, stressing the need to equip children and teenagers with the character, practical skills and mentorship required to become responsible leaders.

They made the call at the 2026 Emerging Leadership Youth Summit organised by the GraceLink Foundation in Abuja, with the theme, “Rise, Build and Become”.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the foundation and Chief Executive Officer of Kijeck Energy, Samuel Ekweghariri, said early exposure to professionals and mentors could help young people identify their strengths, explore career opportunities and make informed decisions about their future.

Ekweghariri said the initiative was designed to bridge the mentorship gap by exposing teenagers to professionals who could share their experiences and guide them towards meaningful careers.

He said, “Our goal is to mentor, to educate and to inform the young generation, and to make them understand that there is a need to have character.

“Today, most people think that it is easy to make money in politics or through internet fraud. But there are professionals who are making good money and building value in this country.”

He urged young Nigerians to consider the long-term consequences of political decisions, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying voters should assess candidates based on their records and contributions rather than financial inducements or personal appearances.

President and Co-founder of GraceLink Foundation, Obioma Levi-Johnson Ekweghariri, said leadership education should begin in classrooms, noting that schools and teachers had important roles to play in helping children develop confidence and a sense of responsibility.

She said the summit brought together teenagers from public and private schools, as well as other organisations, to learn from professionals and innovators across different fields.

According to her, the programme also exposed participants to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), artificial intelligence and robotics to help them understand the opportunities available in emerging fields.

“Leadership is not only being the president or being in the Senate or even being a governor. Leadership goes beyond that. People can lead in different industries,” she said.

She called on the government to support leadership programmes in schools, equip teachers with the necessary resources and create opportunities for young people to develop their talents.

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said Nigeria’s future depended on its ability to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to solve national challenges.

Halilu, represented by the Acting Director, Research Laboratory Development Department, Dr Bakare Hassan highlighted NASENI’s science kits for secondary schools, the Developing Engineering Leaders Through Her (DELT-Her) programme and the InnovateNaija initiative as interventions aimed at promoting practical science education, supporting female engineers and commercialising indigenous innovations.

He cited the emergence of Adaeze Ruth Akpagbula of Abia State, whose Smart Poultry Climate Control System won the 2026 InnovateNaija competition’s top prize of N100m, as evidence of the potential of Nigerian innovators.

He added that NASENI’s N437.5m awards to innovators in 2026 demonstrated the agency’s commitment to developing homegrown technologies and promoting industrial growth.

The NASENI chief urged young people to identify problems in their communities, acquire relevant skills and collaborate with others to develop solutions.

“Leadership is not merely about the position you occupy; it is about the problems you solve and the positive impact you make,” he said.

The Africa Regional Lead of Healthlearn, Dr Obinna Ebirim, said knowledge acquisition and meaningful relationships were important factors in expanding opportunities for young people.

Drawing on his experience as a Mandela Washington Fellow, Ebirim encouraged teenagers to take advantage of online courses, digital learning platforms and artificial intelligence tools to broaden their knowledge.

He advised them to build meaningful relationships with their peers, noting that such connections could create opportunities later in life.

Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Buypower Inc., Oladipo Asehinde, urged young people to acquire practical skills and develop the ability to solve everyday problems.

Asehinde, who recounted how early exposure to craftwork influenced his interest in fixing computers and other equipment, said practical experience could help young people discover abilities they might not otherwise recognise.

He urged schools to complement classroom instruction with skills development, adding that entrepreneurship often began with identifying a problem and finding a way to solve it.

“Identify a particular problem, then start solving it. You wouldn’t need permission to solve any problem,” he said.