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