Ex- Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, will headline the inaugural WeCare Leadership Conference scheduled for August 20, 2026, in Bauchi,  with a focus on youth innovation, ethical leadership and nation-building.

The conference, convened by the WeCare Centre for Community Awareness and Empowerment Initiative, will be held under the theme, “Driving Youth Innovation and Alternative Solutions: Pathway to Nation Building.”

The organisers said the event would bring together young people, policymakers, educators, civil society leaders, development practitioners, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to examine how youth creativity and community-driven solutions could contribute to Nigeria’s development.

According to the organisers, the conference comes at a time when the country requires more inclusive and practical responses to challenges including youth unemployment, unequal access to opportunities, weak social infrastructure and declining public confidence in conventional approaches to national development.

They said the conference would seek to move beyond discussions by encouraging the development of innovative, locally relevant and measurable solutions capable of producing sustainable impact in communities.

The initiative is being championed by the founder of WeCare Centre and former Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr Jamila Mohammed Dahiru, who said young Nigerians must be prepared not only to seek opportunities but also to create solutions and participate meaningfully in nation-building.

Dahiru said the organisation’s approach links education, opportunity and responsible leadership, noting that WeCare had built a record of interventions in education, women and youth empowerment, humanitarian assistance, health, digital inclusion, leadership development and civic engagement.

The organisation has, among other interventions, supported the reintegration of more than 390 out-of-school children into formal education in Bauchi State and provided over N3 million in direct assistance to more than 200 women and young people, alongside medical, scholarship and humanitarian support.

Its leadership-development efforts also include the 2026 WeCare Leadership and Impact Mentorship Programme, which selected 50 young people from applications across Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and Rwanda for a 10-week programme covering transformational leadership, governance, civic responsibility, communication, digital skills, entrepreneurship, employability and project management.

The organisers said the inaugural conference would build on these initiatives by providing a platform for serious reflection, cross-sector collaboration and practical engagement, while challenging stakeholders to recognise young Nigerians as innovators, responsible citizens and critical partners in building a more resilient nation.