2025 National Youth Conference: What It Means For Nigerian Youths, How To Apply

The Federal Government has launched the official portal for the 2025 National Youth Conference, popularly known as the Youth Confab.

Slated to host a staggering 36,000 participants from across Nigeria and the diaspora, the initiative promises more than dialogue. It offers young Nigerians a seat at the policymaking table.

Themed “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future,” the Youth Confab is structured as a multi-stage national movement that goes beyond the traditional conference model. It seeks to mobilise the creativity, energy, and insight of Nigerian youth towards real policy development and implementation.

“This conference will provide young Nigerians from every ward, community, state, and the diaspora the opportunity to unite, engage and reshape the future of our nation,”
 Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande.

What’s The Conference All About?

The Youth Confab isn’t just a gathering it’s a nationwide consultative process. It kicks off with virtual engagements for Nigerians in the diaspora, ensuring no voice is left behind. This will be followed by 360 constituency consultations across Nigeria, feeding into zonal consultations within the six geopolitical regions.

The final act will be a national conference in Abuja, where curated recommendations from the consultations will be presented to government leaders.

The discussions will focus on six critical areas:

• Governance, Leadership, and Political Participation
• Economic Transformation, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation
• Education and Skills for the Future
• Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation
• Climate Change and Energy Transition
• Social Inclusion and Security Who Can Apply?

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 35, whether a student, artisan, entrepreneur, creative, or professional in Nigeria or in the diaspora. This is your opportunity. Youth organisations, student unions, community-based groups, and even statutory youth bodies are all encouraged to register via the newly launched portal.

To ensure inclusivity, 90% of the delegates will be under 35, while the remaining 10% will comprise older participants to foster intergenerational collaboration.

A 50:50 gender balance will be maintained, and provisions have been made for persons with disabilities and marginalized communities, according to the National Planning Committee Chairman, Olubunmi Olusanya.

“The selection process will be merit-based and carefully structured to balance grassroots inclusion, sectoral expertise, and regional diversity,”
— Olubunmi Olusanya, Chairman, National Planning Committee.

Beyond the Talk: Turning Resolutions into Action
One of the most compelling features of the Youth Confab is its commitment to tangible outcomes.

According to Mr. Olusanya, resolutions from the conference will lead to:

• Administrative actions, including policy reforms or presidential directives.
• Legislative actions, involving new or amended laws.
• Where needed, constitutional changes.

To track and enforce accountability, a Multi-Stakeholder Youth Confab Task Force will be created.

This group comprising representatives from government, youth-led groups, civil society, and the private sector will oversee implementation.

There’s also a plan to launch a Youth Confab Impact Index, which will monitor how far resolutions translate into real-world results.

A youth-led monitoring and accountability framework is also being developed to ensure that post-conference promises are not just paper commitments.

What Does This Mean For Nigerian Youths?

This isn’t just another government event. For millions of young Nigerians often dismissed as “leaders of tomorrow”, this conference represents a bold new chance to lead today. It invites young minds to bring their challenges and solutions to the centre of national discourse and co-create policies that affect their lives.

Portal for registration is now live.
To join the movement, participate in consultations, or register as a delegate, visit the official National Youth Conference 2025 portal.