Minister to youths: Seize opportunities, build skills, lead Nigeria’s future

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has urged Nigerian youths to seize emerging opportunities, acquire relevant skills and see themselves as partners in building the country rather than merely beneficiaries of government programmes.

Olawande gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), organised by Rotary International District 9127, where more than 600 young Nigerians gathered for leadership training under the theme, “Transforming Talents into Impact.”

The Minister said the country was creating an environment in which young people could thrive, urging them to take advantage of training, empowerment and digital platforms available to them.

“I believe that we now have a country, an environment and a community that really wants you to thrive. That is why you can see this kind of opportunity, this kind of training, this kind of awareness and this kind of learning that we are seeing now,” he said.

He urged young Nigerians who could not physically attend training programmes to make effective use of digital platforms, particularly the Nigerian Youth Academy.

“For those young people, we have different platforms. All these platforms are real. You may not have the opportunity to be in this academy now, but spend a little time that you have on social platforms to go onto the Nigerian Youth Academy platforms,” Olawande said.

The Minister said his vision was to produce young Nigerians who were prepared, trusted and given opportunities to contribute meaningfully to national development.

“My mission for youth leadership in Nigeria is simple. I want to see a Nigerian youth that is prepared, trusted and given the opportunity to help build this country,” he said.

Olawande said young Nigerians should move away from conversations centred only on what government could provide for them and begin considering what they could build in partnership with government.

“For a very long time, when we speak about young people, the conversation is mostly about what government should do, what government will do for us and what government has not done. I believe we must also talk about what we can build with government,” he said.

“As young people, we are not just beneficiaries of government programmes. We should be partners in building this nation.”

He identified entrepreneurship, innovation, agriculture and community leadership as areas where young Nigerians could make significant contributions to the economy and society.

“We are entrepreneurs who can create jobs. It is not just about looking for a job. We are innovators. We have a large number of young people here innovating and solving a lot of problems,” he said.

The Minister also stressed that leadership was not synonymous with political office or official titles, saying it begins with responsibility and service.

“Leadership is not about titles. Leadership is not about appointments. Leadership does not start only when you become a minister. Leadership does not start when you become a governor or a president,” Olawande said.

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“Leadership starts with responsibility. It starts with all of us as we are sitting down here. Don’t think it is when you are old that you become a leader.”

He urged the participants to build character and competence, stressing that both were essential to effective leadership.

“Leadership is about service. It is about service. Nothing but service. But how can you build that service? It is with character. Character is key in whatever you are doing. Build competence from now,” he said. 

According to him, young people must go beyond academic qualifications by acquiring practical skills, understanding technology, communicating effectively and learning how to solve problems.

“A university degree is important, but please, the world is changing. A degree alone cannot strengthen you enough,” he said.

“You must have a skill, at least two skills. We must understand technology. We must be able to communicate. We must know how to solve problems ourselves without always going to somebody. We must be willing to learn and learn and learn again.”

Olawande said the Ministry of Youth Development was focused on programmes designed to provide young Nigerians with jobs, skills, entrepreneurship opportunities and access to finance.

He also urged young people to use social media more productively, saying while social platforms had their place, some of the time spent on them should be devoted to learning, developing skills and creating value.

The Minister said government could not solve all youth-related challenges alone and called for stronger partnerships with organisations such as Rotary.

“The government cannot do it alone,” he said, commending Rotary for bringing together more than 600 young Nigerians for the leadership programme.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was committed to creating opportunities for young Nigerians, adding that government’s responsibility was to translate those opportunities into tangible benefits.

“But opportunity must meet preparation. When doors are open, you must be ready to walk through them,” he said.

Olawande told the participants that Nigeria needed them in business, technology, agriculture, public service and community development.

“Nigeria needs you. Nigeria needs better, productive young entrepreneurs, politicians and people who believe that life can be better,” he said.

He challenged them to ask themselves three questions: “What problem can you solve? Who can help you solve the problem? And the third one, what will Nigerians gain from your talents?”

The Minister said he would remain interested in the development of the participants beyond the academy and requested to be added on their WhatsApp platform while expressing his desire to see them become purpose-driven and impactful young Nigerians.

“Let purpose take the future and take it further from here. Let your impact speak for you,” he said.

Earlier, the District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Rotarian Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko, urged participants to take the academy seriously and maximise the opportunities it offered.

He described RYLA as an opportunity to make life-changing friendships, acquire new skills and gain experiences that could become useful later in life.

“Please take this seriously. It is an opportunity. You are going to make new friends—life-changing friends,” Owonikoko said.

He urged the participants to pay attention to the activities lined up for the week, saying mentorship, sponsorship and other opportunities could emerge from the programme.

“Things will come your way. Sponsorship might come. Mentorship might come. So many good things will come your way,” he said.

The District Governor also said the participation of more than 600 young people made the gathering one of the largest RYLA programmes organised in the district in recent years, urging participants to obey the rules and make the best of the opportunity.

The Chairman of the RYLA 2026 Planning Committee, Dr Kayode Olushola Fasua, said the academy was historic because of the large number of young Nigerians participating.

He said the participants would be exposed to leadership conversations, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, financial intelligence, civic responsibility, character development, mentorship, vocational skills and other life-transforming experiences.

He urged the participants to leave the academy not merely inspired but transformed into ethical leaders, innovative problem-solvers and compassionate citizens capable of contributing to their communities and the nation.