News
Youth Ministry Partners with Defence College to Boost Leadership Among Nigerian Youth
Joel Ajayi
The Ministry of Youth Development, in partnership with the National Defence College, has launched a high-level conference designed to prepare young Nigerians for leadership roles across different sectors of national life.
Declaring the event open, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, described the initiative as “a bold step towards shaping the leadership architecture of our beloved country.”He noted that with over 70% of Nigeria’s population being youth, “the future is not a distant dream; it is in the hands, hearts, and minds of our young people today.”
The President, however, cautioned that “energy without direction and potential without preparation can lead to frustration.” He underscored the urgency of values-based leadership and the inclusion of youth in addressing both national and global challenges such as cybersecurity, climate change, healthcare, food security, and innovation.
He urged participants to “learn, engage, collaborate, and form lasting friendships,” stressing that the leadership skills gained must extend beyond the conference into everyday civic life. He also called on policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to provide young people with quality education, mentorship, economic opportunities, and platforms for inclusive governance.
“The Nigeria we desire tomorrow depends on the leadership we build today,” President Tinubu stated.
In his keynote remarks, the Honourable Minister of Youth Development, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abdullahi Mohamed emphasized the significance of this partnership, especially at a time when the majority of Nigerians are within the youth age bracket.
“We believe the wealth of this nation is not in its oil or gas, but in the vibrant energy and potential of our youth. The future of Nigeria rests squarely in their hands,” the Minister said.
He noted that Nigeria’s strength is increasingly measured by the quality of its leadership and the readiness of young citizens to take on responsibility. He described the collaboration with the National Defence College as both timely and vital, rooted in shared values of discipline, innovation, courage, and creativity.
“Today, leadership depends not just on position but on values. This conference offers young people a platform to engage, learn, and grow into the leaders our nation needs,” he added.
The Minister encouraged participants to approach the conference with focus and open minds, expressing confidence that the ideas, networks, and strategies developed would significantly shape Nigeria’s future.
Also addressing the gathering, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Hon. Mohammed Jalo of Igabi Federal Constituency, Kaduna reaffirmed the importance of empowering young Nigerians for national progress.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Jo Okosun, highlighted the central role of youth in nation-building.
He stressed that “the strength of a country lies in its youth, and by investing in them, the future of Nigeria is safe in their hands.”
The conference brings together young leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the country to deliberate on youth empowerment, leadership development, and strategies for national advancement.
News
Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope
By Sunday Dare
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu berths on the plains and rolling hills that dominate the Jos landscape tomorrow, he will meet a people resourceful, friendly and resilient but weighed down by conflict, yet unbowed by adversity.
So, tommorrow, national attention turns to the Plateau- a locale laden with history and rich with potential. From the tin mines that gave the city of Jos its name, to the Irish potato, strawberry farms and beetroot plantations that dot its landscape, Jos remains a land of promise—truly the Home of Peace and Tourism.
Jos is also deeply woven into Nigeria’s political history. Plateau is home to towering figures such as Generals JD Gomwalk, Yakubu Gowon, John Shagaya, Joshua Dogoyaro, and Jerry Useni. Solomon Lar, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and numerous others also stand tall in the annals Plateau political history.
Jos was also the rallying ground of the famed Langtang Mafia—a group of influential military officers from Langtang in Plateau State who, at the height of their power, played a significant role in Nigeria’s political and military affairs.
The story of Jos is both exciting and excruciating. The city lost its innocence some two and a half decades ago, when the popular Terminus Market was reduced to rubble through acts of arson and looting.
Thus at the turn of the millennium by 2001, Jos—and by extension, Plateau—was thrown into a cycle of unending conflict. Ethnic tensions, clothed in religious garb, tore through the city and spread across the state, dragging Jos into an abyss of violence, almost of Kigali proportions. Peace gave way to war, and tourism jaunts became undertakings to the undertaker.
Yet Jos has never surrendered. Every time it is written off, it rises again—scarred, but resilient. With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric, the Plateau continues to trudge on in pursuit of peace, development, and egalitarian ideals.
It was here, in Jos, that Nigeria’s democratic resurgence was birthed. The historic SDP convention, where late General Shehu Yar’Adua and Chief Moshood Abiola held sway, took place in this city. Jos gave political life to Abiola, our hero of democracy in 1992
Now, thirty three years later, another hero of democracy and of the June 12 struggle returns to the Plateau. President Tinubu’s return and visit to Plateau State is not just to honor the transition to glory of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the APC National Chairman.
It is a visit that carries deeper meaning—one of empathy, solidarity, and renewed hope for a people who have endured decades of turmoil. It is a mission to preach peace, console the bereaved, bind wounds, and assure Plateau of its central place in the Nigerian project.
Mr President comes not just to mourn, but to reconnect. He comes to parley with the North Central, to commiserate with a people who have suffered, and to extend the hand of renewed hope. That Renewed Hope is laying a solid foundation as evidenced by Naira at N1,455 per dollar, rising Foreign Reserves at $43bn, Trade surplus heading for N25tr. Revenues up 411% and Inflation down to about 20 per cent. Over 600,000 students benefiting from NELFUND.
This visit is more than ceremonial. It is a journey into the very soul of a people who have known pain, yet remain resilient; a land scarred by conflict, yet still brimming with hope and promise. As the Tin City opens its arms, Jos will not just receive the President—it will receive a message of solidarity, healing, and renewal.
Tomorrow is about remembering the glorious past, confronting the present, and charting a path to a peaceful and prosperous Plateau within a united Nigeria. With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Jos once again stands at the intersection of history and destiny.
-
Featured6 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured6 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured4 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports3 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News9 months agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured6 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
