NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku (middle), with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele (right), during the 2026 National Youth Conference at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for promoting youth inclusion in national decision-making, expressing confidence that the outcome of the 2026 National Youth Conference will provide a roadmap for addressing challenges confronting young Nigerians.
Ogbuku, who spoke at the 2026 National Youth Conference held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, described the gathering as a historic opportunity for young people to contribute meaningfully to shaping the country’s future.
The conference, themed, “Next Gen Nigeria: Crafting Solutions, Owning the Future”, produced an 18-point action agenda covering six critical areas of national development.
The six priority areas are Governance, Leadership and Political Participation; Economic Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Job Creation; Education and Seven-Star Skills for the Future; Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation; Climate Change and Energy Transition; and Social Cohesion and Security.
The NDDC Managing Director said the conference outcome represented an important step towards harnessing the ideas, creativity and energy of young Nigerians in addressing the country’s development challenges.
He urged the delegates to embrace national unity, mutual understanding and collaboration across ethnic and regional divides, while demonstrating their readiness to assume leadership responsibilities.
Ogbuku also encouraged the youths to translate their passion for change into practical solutions that would promote national development, expressing optimism that the recommendations from the conference would contribute significantly to building a better Nigeria.
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the 18-point recommendations were translated into tangible policies and programmes.
The President directed the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, to collaborate with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, state governments, the private sector and development partners to develop a practical implementation framework for the recommendations.
He stressed that young Nigerians must be actively involved not only in policy formulation but also in the implementation and monitoring of decisions affecting their future.
Tinubu noted that the success of the conference would ultimately be measured by the extent to which its recommendations improved the lives of young people.
He acknowledged challenges confronting Nigerian youths, including unemployment, rising cost of living, limited access to education, inadequate business opportunities and insecurity, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities through education, skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, highlighted the importance of investor confidence, economic growth and job creation to national development.
He urged young Nigerians to embrace innovation, constructive engagement and practical solutions, noting that positive perceptions of the country and a conducive investment environment were essential to expanding economic opportunities.
Earlier, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, announced that the conference had produced the 18-point action agenda across the six thematic areas, providing a framework for addressing youth concerns and strengthening their participation in Nigeria’s development.
