Mr Ben Duntoye , former President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)

 

 

Mr. Ben Duntoye, a former President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has called on Nigerian youths to actively engage in the forthcoming National Youth Conference.

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Duntoye, a youth development expert, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday, following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of a planned youth conference in his independence speech on Oct. 1.

 

He emphasized the significance of the confab, urging young Nigerians to fully utilize the platform to shape the future of the country.

 

He urged all youth groups and stakeholders to ensure that their delegates were experienced in youth development, with strong track records in leadership and innovation.

 

“The youth representatives must truly reflect the aspirations of their peers and be well-versed in addressing challenges such as unemployment, education, and social justice,” he said.

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He urged groups to nominate young individuals who were passionate and knowledgeable, ensuring that the voices of the youth were adequately heard.

 

Duntoye, who is also the president of the Nigeria Youth Workers Association, stressed the need for youths to take full ownership of the conference and not approach it with apathy.

 

“This conference is an unprecedented opportunity to secure their future; it is important that they engage meaningfully,” he said.

 

He further called on the organizers to be meticulous in their selection process by ensuring that credible and competent youth representatives were chosen.

 

He said that any attempt to trivialize or politicize the conference would undermine its purpose, adding that it should be a genuine effort to drive youth inclusion in national discourse.

 

Reflecting on his experience as the head of the youth delegation at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference and the 2014 National Conference, he emphasized the importance of such initiative.

 

He said that the initiative was symbolic and could lead to concrete actions and reforms.

 

He urged the federal government to ensure that resolutions from the conference were implemented in practice, not just documented.

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