The Federal Government on Saturday fixed February 2025 for the national youth conference.

President Bola Tinubu, during his Independence Day broadcast, announced the gathering of a 30-day national youth conference to address critical issues facing the country’s youths, including unemployment, education, and political participation.

This is as various youth groups across the country expressed disappointment over the presidency’s silence on the proposed confab.

The planned conference was part of the administration’s response to the youth-led protests, including #EndBadGovernance in August 2024 and the #FearlessOctober in October 2024.

“The conference aims to provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow,” the President said.

The conference was greeted with mixed reactions as some youths welcomed the idea.

But almost three months after Tinubu’s pronouncement, no further announcement has been made as some youth groups expressed frustration.

The groups, including Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yoruba Youths Council, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and the Ijaw National Congress, accused the Tinubu-led government of neglecting its commitment to addressing the challenges confronting Nigerian youths.

The National President of AYCF, Zaid Ayuba, said the delay in organising the confab was disappointing and showed Tinubu’s lack of interest in youth development.

“We express our profound disappointment with the government’s inability to organise the much-anticipated national youth conference.

“Our disappointment stems from two key points. First, in an ideal society, a statement or directive from the president should automatically translate into executive action, reflecting the government’s commitment to follow through.

“The President’s announcement of such a conference was an opportunity for all Nigerians to witness a decisive mandate to bring it to fruition. However, this failed to materialise at a critical time, which deeply disheartened us.

“Second, as representatives of Nigeria’s largest demographic—the youth—we viewed this conference as a platform to present innovative ideas and solutions for the nation’s progress. It was supposed to be an avenue where the voices of young Nigerians could be amplified. Unfortunately, the conference did not happen, leaving us disappointed and marginalised.

“While we are disheartened by this missed opportunity, we remain hopeful. We call on the president to prioritise organising this critical National League Conference as the first major event of 2025,” Ayuba said.

On his part, the President of the Yoruba Youths Council, Eric Oluwole, lamented what he called the continued neglect of youths by the Tinubu administration.

“I can say categorically that Nigerian youths are not happy with Tinubu on the delay in organising the national youth conference as proposed by him. It was our belief that the confab would hold as early as possible but when you look at the whole thing now, it is like they have forgotten about it and the conference might no longer hold.

“We are already planning a meeting of Nigerian youths to remind the Federal Government that we are not going to relent until we achieve our goal, because we believe that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. We also have the power to decide the country’s political future.

“One of our major demands is youth inclusion in governance because we make up 70 per cent of the country’s population and there is no way the government can sideline youths while making important policy decisions,” Oluwole said.

The spokesperson for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, said Tinubu’s lack of action on the proposed confab undermined his administration’s credibility and integrity.

Ogbonnia said, “The youth confab is to the advantage of the President and shouldn’t be delayed any further because it will enable the President to know the yearnings of the youth. It is very important for the confab to hold.”

Also speaking, the National Publicity Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, Ezonebi Oyekemeagbegha, warned that Tinubu’s inaction on the confab could lead to disengagement and apathy among the country’s youths.

He urged the presidency to provide updates and a concrete timeline for the conference, insisting that the confab was necessary for addressing the escalating unemployment rate, brain drain, and rising social unrest among young people.

Oyekemeagbegha said, “It is good that whenever our leaders, particularly the President, make a promise; he must make conscious efforts to fulfill it. It is unfortunate that the confab is yet to be held. We expect that the President should have met with the youth, particularly this time when there is a lot of hardship and there is a need for the President to meet with the youth and other stakeholders in resolving some of the challenges confronting the country.”

The Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Peluola Adewale, described the conference as a “diversionary tactic” by Tinubu to placate youths during the #EndBadGovernance protest.

“It (confab) was a charade ab initio. The Tinubu government was never sincere about it. It was meant to bribe a section of young people at the period of an upswing in the #EndBadGovernance movement. At present, there is a seeming lull in the struggle, though the mass anger is still highly intense.

“So, the government apparently doesn’t see an immediate need for the youth conference at the moment. I think it is instructive to say that given the intensification of anti-poor policies, the growing impoverishment of ordinary people and the associated mass anger, another mass struggle may break out again.

“This is in spite of the vicious attack on democratic rights and repression of dissent by the Tinubu government. No youth conference will prevent it. In any case, the youth conference is a sheer waste of public resources and another avenue for looting of public funds,” Adewale said.

FG fixes February 2025

Responding to enquiries by Sunday PUNCH, the Federal Government said it plans to begin the month-long conference in February 2025.

The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, said delegates would only converge on the FCT, Abuja, for one week after spending three weeks engaging youths at the grassroots.

“We will do the confab by the first week of February. It is not going to be the usual confab. That is why about three weeks of this confab will be spent with the grassroots,” said Olawande, who added that President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate selected delegates by mid-January.

While providing updates on preparations for the confab on Saturday, the youth minister said the event would not be a time to “talk and spend money.”

“We have changed the idea. The President has given us the go-ahead to come up with something more action-oriented, and after clarifying it with the Chief of Staff and getting his input, we will announce the modalities before the year (2024) ends.

“We will announce the committees. We’ll hit the ground running by mid-January or the last week of January. We will nominate representatives from each ministry and agency to collaborate with the delegates.

“We will announce those people; the President will approve and inaugurate them, and we will do the confab properly by the first week of February. I can assure you that we are going to the grassroots.”

He noted that the 30-day event would allocate two weeks to engagement in federal constituencies, followed by one week in states and local government areas.

The final week will involve a convergence on Abuja, where all findings and progress will be reviewed and discussed to formulate actionable steps.

Reflecting on previous conferences, such as the 2014 confab, he emphasised the need for a fresh and result-oriented approach to avoid repeating mistakes that yielded minimal results.

“This period, we have been looking at what has been done and how we can do things differently and better. That is why we are taking our time because we want results.

“As of now, we are setting up committees and giving them templates. We need to go back to where the challenges are the grassroots. We will not have the same people in various youth organisations who have always been there for a long time and just recruit them for the confab. We don’t think that is the right step this time around.”

In October, Olawande, then Minister of State for Youth Development, had said the Federal Government would set up a task force to implement the recommendations of the youth confab.

He argued that the task force was necessary to help concretise the recommendations into executive orders or bills to be transmitted to the National Assembly.

“We will still ask the President to give us an implementation task force so that when we need to do an executive order, we can put it up immediately. Those (recommendations) that need to go to the National Assembly, we can take it off, and we will start having this as quickly as possible. So, it’s a done deal,” Olawande noted.

He revealed that although the initial brief submitted to the President proposed four days for the dialogue, Tinubu recommended one month instead after listening to their plan to bring youths together for a dialogue.

“We are preparing to roll out things very soon with all stakeholders involved, which the President has consented to,” Olawande stated.

Reacting, the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lucky Emonefe, urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the planned conference.

He noted that part of the demands NANS would be presenting at the confab was increased youth participation in government, insisting that at least half of all public leadership and decision-making positions must be held by young people.

“We never expected that the conference would take this long. This youth confab and engagement with the youth is very important. We urge the minister of youth to please expedite action. Mr. President should put action to his words to ensure that the conference takes place because it is an opportunity for Nigerian youths to express their mind, their challenges and demands.

“We want a situation whereby like 50 per cent of government position would be occupied by youths so that we can attend to the needs of the youth,” Emonefe said.

The overall best-graduating student in the 2023/2024 academic session of Wesley University, Ondo, Miss Ifeoluwa Mercy Adeyemi, has shared the reasons behind her remarkable achievement.

In an interview during the institution’s 13th convocation ceremony in Ondo town, Adeyemi revealed that she intentionally chose not to have a boyfriend throughout her four-year course to avoid distractions.

The 19-year-old, who graduated with a degree in microbiology, achieved a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.97.

According to her, having a boyfriend during her undergraduate studies would have detracted from her academic focus.

She stated that her primary motivation was to make her parents proud during her academic journey. “Well, I had actually discussed this matter with several other people, and they told me that it depends on your own perspective”, she narrated.

“But for me, I see it as a distraction because I cannot divide my mind.

“A boyfriend might be demanding my attention, which would prevent me from putting my total effort into my books”.

Adeyemi emphasized that although she had no intention of having a boyfriend at the moment, she was open to the idea at the right time.

Her drive to please her parents played a significant role in her success.

“At first, I have parents that I cannot disappoint. So this is one thing that keeps coming to my mind. Anytime I found distractions, I would remind myself: your parents are out there, and you need to make them proud,” she said.

Additionally, Adeyemi expressed her ambition to make an impact in the health sector.

Her words: “I want to solve problems in this world, especially in the health sector. And I have to put more effort into understanding this course, microbiology, because it deals with microorganisms, which are central to diseases and health.

“So I need to focus on it and make my parents proud.”

Looking ahead, Adeyemi plans to further her education with a master’s degree and eventually a Ph.D., aiming to become a researcher.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Wesley University, Prof. Sunday Samuel Obeka, announced that 39 students graduated with First Class Honours out of a total of 230 graduating students.

He highlighted the university’s commitment to holistic education, rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, which emphasizes intellectual sharpness, character cultivation, and preparation for community service and self-reliance.

Obeka added that the institution had achieved significant milestones, including strategic partnerships and curriculum reviews, strengthening its position as a leading educational establishment in the country.
He emphasized the need for the government to support private universities’ medical colleges, such as Wesley University’s growing offerings in health sciences, to address the shortage of health workers in the country.

Sir Demola Aladekomo delivered the convocation lecture while Pastor Sunday Ogwuche was the guest speaker.
The Chancellor, Senior Pastor Paul Enenche, presented each of the First Class graduates with ¦ 100,000.
In his address, Enenche encouraged the graduates, marking the beginning of great achievements in their lives.

A three-day spiritual crusade led by the guest speaker, Ogwuche, themed, ‘Wesleyan Heritage: A Panacea for Physical, Social & Spiritual Growth,’ was also part of the convocation ceremony. Ogwuche emphasized the importance of embracing their new identities as change-makers in society.

During the event, Olori Comfort Kiladejo, the wife of the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba (Dr.) Victor Kiladejo, was honored with an honorary degree in Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Service.

[Vanguard]

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says Nigeria’s tax administration system is long overdue for reforms.

Speaking at the 2024 annual general meeting (AGM) and public lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kaduna chapter, on Saturday, Idris said the nation’s tax administration system has become long overdue for reforms.

On October 3, Tinubu presented four tax reform bills to the national assembly for deliberation and passage.

The bills, which have passed the second senate reading, are the Nigeria tax bill, the Nigeria tax administration bill, the Nigeria revenue service establishment bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.

“All over the world, effective taxation is important as a source of financial power for governments to provide social services for their citizens,” the minister said.

“Society advances by mutually respectful engagements, where we give voice to diverse opinions and respect those who we disagree with. We will certainly not always agree on all issues, perhaps not even on most.

“But we will always be guided by the fact that the things that unite us—our common humanity, our nationhood, our sense of patriotism, and our collective vision for a Nigeria that works for all—will always be more important and more meaningful than our differences of age, religion, region, ideology, gender, culture, and social class.

“All over the world, effective taxation is important as a source of financial power for governments to provide social services for their citizens.

“However, there is plenty of reason to believe and assert that Nigeria’s tax administration system has become long overdue for reforms, on account of design and implementation flaws as well as the general attitudes of taxpayers toward taxation.

“It is very inspiring and heartwarming to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on these matters of critical national importance.”

The minister assured that “President Bola Tinubu has also been very clear that the executive will listen to and work with all stakeholders to ensure that all concerns are duly and comprehensively addressed”.

“We will continue to ensure open lines of communication and engagement with the national assembly and all other stakeholders on these taxation bills,” he added.

“We are all in this together, as one people, one nation, and just as we are being called upon to make collective sacrifices, we will also collectively reap the abundant social and economic benefits of all of these necessary reforms.”

[TheCable]

A newly wedded couple who were returning from the Ikoyi Marriage Registry alongside 16 other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries following a multi-vehicle collision on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State on Saturday.

This was confirmed in a statement by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, on Saturday.

Taofiq stated that the accident occurred when an LT bus developed brake failure while at speed and collided with a mini truck.

The impact of the collision was said to have led to the occupants of both vehicles sustaining varying degrees of injuries including fractured limbs.

He identified the vehicles involved as a mini truck with number plate AGL 22 YE and a commercial LT bus with number plate BFG 204 XF.

Taofiq said, “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, in collaboration with emergency response agencies, today orchestrated the successful rescue of 18 individuals involved in a serious vehicular collision on the Third Mainland Bridge, near Ilaje, heading towards Iyana Oworonsoki.

“Among the victims were a newlywed couple returning to the mainland from the Ikoyi Marriage Registry.

“The accident, which involved a mini truck (AGL 22 YE) and a commercial LT bus (BFG 204 XF), was attributed to a brake failure on the LT bus, which was travelling at excessive speed. The bus collided with the mini truck, which was moving slowly due to mechanical difficulties.

“A total of 16 passengers seated in the rear of the LT bus, 11 women and 5 men, sustained significant injuries and were swiftly transported to the Lagos State Trauma and Emergency Centre near the Toll Gate on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for urgent medical care.”

He added that two of the victims suffered severe injuries after being trapped in the wreckage of the LT bus and “Were extricated with the combined efforts of LASTMA personnel, emergency responders, and concerned bystanders. These victims were later rushed to Gbagada General Hospital for specialised treatment.”

Reacting to the incident, the LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sympathy for the injured victims while urging road users to always exercise caution on the highway.

Bakare-Oki who spoke through Taofiq stressed that the ongoing enlightenment by the LASTMA’s Female Elite Corps is aimed at promoting safety on Lagos roads ahead of the festivity.

“Expressing deep sympathy for the injured, LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, wished them a speedy recovery. He also underscored the importance of observing speed limits and maintaining vehicles in optimal condition, particularly the braking system, to prevent such tragedies.

“Mr Bakare-Oki further highlighted the intensified public enlightenment campaigns led by LASTMA’s Female Elite Corps, which aim to educate motorists—especially commercial bus operators—on safe driving practices before, during, and beyond the festive season,” Taofiq stated.

Emergency responders at the scene of the incident, according to Taofiq, were LASTMA personnel, LASEMA, LASAMBUS and the police.