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.

The Federal Government has released N8.6 billion to clear pension arrears for 148,625 retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), as part of efforts to execute the N32,000 pension increase approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024.

In a statement on Monday, Olugbenga Ajayi, Head of Corporate Communications at the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), confirmed the disbursement.

The payment benefits retirees from various sectors, including the Civil Service, Parastatals, Police, Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pension Departments. PTAD had earlier completed payments in the first phase of the increment, which increased pensions by 20 to 28 per cent starting January 2024.

A total of N5.7 billion was disbursed to 59,342 qualified pensioners under the Parastatals’ Pensions Department. Another N2.3 billion was paid to 71,084 eligible retirees under the Civil Service Pension Department. The Police Pension Department accounted for N310 million, which was distributed to 9,579 pensioners, while N276 million was allocated to 8,620 beneficiaries under the Customs, Immigration, and now Correctional Service Pension Department.

Announcing the disbursement, the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Tolulope A. Odunaiya, reiterated “the Federal Government’s commitment towards the full settlement of the outstanding balance accruing from the increment.”

She also emphasized “the unflinching determination of the Federal Government to proceed with its programmes aimed at improving the welfare of pensioners in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The Debt Management Office (DMO), acting for the Federal Government (FG), has announced a N50 billion Green Bond offering.

The Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha, informed investors at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos yesterday that the funds would be allocated to various climate-friendly initiatives across the country, including renewable energy, afforestation, dam projects, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) development.

The Green Bond has a five-year term and will be priced in line with the FGN Savings Bond, which is actively traded in Nigeria’s capital market.

The Director-General emphasized the instrument’s importance, stating that all proceeds would fund projects aimed at reducing the impact of climate change in Nigeria.

She stated, “It is tied to the global policy on Climate Change and looking after the environmental because Nigeria is committed to the global agreements on Climate Change.”

She highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in issuing Sovereign Green Bonds, noting that the country was the first in Africa to do so, raising N10.69 billion in 2017 and N15 billion in 2019. Oniha said the N25.69 billion raised from the earlier two series went into supporting renewables, afforestation, education, and micro-utilities.

“The government continues to mobilize domestic and international climate finance to scale up mitigation and adaptation efforts,” she added.

In response to journalists’ questions, Oniha expressed her Office’s readiness to issue Green Bonds regularly, but noted that such issuances would depend on provisions in the federal government’s budget.

She encouraged other corporate entities to follow the federal government’s lead in issuing Green Bonds, emphasizing that such efforts are essential for effectively addressing the various challenges of climate change facing the nation.

Oniha revealed that investment in the N50 billion Sovereign Green Bond would require a minimum subscription of N10 million, with additional investments in multiples of N1 million.

In her presentation, Dr. Iniobong Awe, Director of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment, highlighted the serious threat of desert encroachment in Northern Nigeria, which is impacting both people and livestock.

She affirmed the federal government’s commitment to the Climate Change Act of 2021 and the goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2060. This commitment, she noted, is backed by key policies including the Nigerian Carbon Market Initiative, the Green Bond Initiative, the National Council on Climate Change, and the Renewable Energy Policy.

The Court of Appeal in Lagos has nullified the final forfeiture order previously granted over assets belonging to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

In a two-to-one split decision delivered on April 9, 2025, and detailed in a certified true copy obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the appellate court overturned the earlier judgment and directed that the case be retried at the lower court.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had earlier, on November 1, 2024, granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a final forfeiture order against Emefiele’s assets.

What Are These Assets?

The assets listed include two fully detached duplexes at No. 17B, Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped parcel of land measuring 1,919.592 square metres with survey plan No. DS/LS.340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow located at No. 65A Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos; and a four-bedroom duplex at No. 12A, Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Other properties include an industrial complex under construction across 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; eight units of uncompleted apartments situated on a plot measuring 2,457.60 square metres at No. 8A Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; and a fully detached duplex on a 2,217.87 square metre plot at No. 2A Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In addition, the court had previously ordered the forfeiture of $2,045,000 and share certificates in Queensdorf Global Fund Limited to the Federal Government.

Why Were the Assets Forfeited?

The EFCC argued that the properties were “reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.” Emefiele was arraigned on an eight-count charge involving “criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime to the tune of ₦7,831,002,396.”

Dissatisfied with the trial court’s ruling, Emefiele, through his lead counsel Olalekan Ojo (SAN), appealed, raising five key issues. These included whether the trial judge properly evaluated the evidence, whether Emefiele had sufficiently demonstrated ownership of the properties, and whether the EFCC’s counter-affidavit complied with the law. EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) countered that “the appellant did not produce single evidence on how he acquired the forfeited properties,” noting that Emefiele merely presented income figures without proof of how the funds were used to purchase the assets.

Oyedepo stated that none of the properties were registered in Emefiele’s name, but rather in company names in which he held no directorship or shares. “The companies in whose names the properties were acquired did not challenge the forfeiture of the properties,” he added. He also argued that Emefiele failed to declare the forfeited assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Justice Abdulazeez Anka, delivering the lead judgment, noted that “These funds are the legitimate earnings of the appellant,” citing income from Zenith Bank, a severance package exceeding ₦1.75 billion, shares worth ₦500 million, CBN salary of ₦350 million annually, and estacodes of $6.285 million.

However, Justice Anka also acknowledged conflicting claims in the affidavit evidence and ruled that “there is in my view a need to call for further oral as well as documentary evidence.”
The judge ordered a retrial with oral testimonies and cross-examinations, setting aside the forfeiture order but upholding the forfeiture of the $2,045,000.

Justice Mohammed Mustapha agreed with the ruling, stating that Emefiele’s income “was more than enough to buy up the properties in question and even more.” He added that the appellant’s 2014 and 2019 declarations could not have covered assets acquired between 2020 and 2023, a period relevant to the case.

Justice Danlami Senchi, however, dissented, arguing there were no conflicts in the affidavits that justified oral evidence. “The companies whose names were used to purchase and perfect the title… have not filed an affidavit to show cause,” he stated, describing Emefiele’s claim to the properties as that of a “meddlesome interloper.” He dismissed the appeal and affirmed the forfeiture ruling of the trial court.

In conclusion, while two justices supported a retrial based on conflicting evidence, the third maintained that the original ruling was sound. The case has now been sent back to the Federal High Court for a new hearing before a different judge.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has emphasized the need for Nigeria to sustain efforts in tackling the root causes of inflation, even with the recent slight decline in the inflation rate. Dr Chinyere Almona, the LCCI Director-General, made this statement on Tuesday in Lagos, reacting to the May inflation rate of 22.97 per cent.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 22.97 per cent in May, compared to 23.71 per cent in April.

Dr Almona described this as a modest but encouraging change in the nation’s inflation trend following months of continuous rises, crediting the Central Bank of Nigeria’s consistent monetary tightening measures, such as interest rate hikes and liquidity management.

Nevertheless, Dr Almona cautioned that the improvement should be approached with care due to persistent structural challenges and potential disruptions to food production and distribution.

She warned, “The recent spate of herdsmen-farmers clashes in the Middle Belt and flooding disasters are negative signals capable of limiting food harvests this year.

Logistics and supply chain risks also loom due to current escalations in the Middle East and the deadlocked ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine. Importing fuel and other products may become more expensive as oil prices have risen due to ongoing tensions and trade wars. These shocks pose significant risks to food availability and prices, which can drive food inflation—an essential component of the headline inflation index in the third and fourth quarters of 2025.”

Dr Almona urged the government to take bold steps to address insecurity, enhance agricultural infrastructure resilience, and strengthen policy coordination to ensure sustainable and inclusive progress.

She advocated for a balanced approach combining fiscal and monetary policies, including reforms in the oil and gas sector that have previously curbed fuel price surges.

She also recommended sustaining the naira-for-crude policy and ensuring crude supply to local refineries. Additionally, the LCCI Director-General advised the CBN to uphold prudent monetary policies while facilitating better credit access for key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, and stressed the importance of continuing to avoid government ways and means provisions despite any pressures.

Dr Almona highlighted the need for increased government investment in dry season farming, irrigation systems, and mechanization to lessen reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

She concluded, “There is an urgent need for the government to scale up support for dry season farming, irrigation infrastructure, and mechanisation to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture.

The government must remain focused on addressing challenges related to the movement of food from farms to cities. Addressing inefficiencies in transporting goods, particularly food, from rural to urban markets can help lower market prices and reduce post-harvest losses.”