* Brain child of Presidency and Lagos
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, is set to convene the first ever Abuja Dialogue aimed at placing youth leadership at the centre of national discourse.
The dialogue, scheduled to hold on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Abuja with the theme, ‘Scaling Excellence: Youth Leadership as Strategic Infrastructure for National Transformation,’ is a precursor to the Lagos Leadership Summit.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, who disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference to announce the arrangement for the event, noted that the dialogue’s emphasis is on young Nigerians not as a matter of rhetoric or aspiration, but as a strategic priority.
According to him, “Central element of this initiative is the recognition that youth leadership and development must move beyond the language of inclusion and towards a more structured understanding of responsibility.
“While inclusion provides access, responsibility requires preparation, and it is this preparation that ultimately determines whether young people are able to contribute meaningfully within systems that demand competence, discipline and accountability.
“The Abuja Dialogue will therefore focus on identifying the mechanisms through which this preparation can be achieved, including the role of structured training, institutional exposure, mentorship and performance evaluation in building leadership capacity over time.”
Hadejia said the Office of the Vice-President recognises that while building youth leadership at scale cannot be achieved through isolated efforts, it requires deliberate collaboration with institutions that are committed to leadership development at different levels.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to grooming young leaders through structured programmes that drive leadership exposure, thereby ensuring that change-driven individuals are equipped not only with knowledge, but with the capacity to apply that knowledge within real-world contexts,” he noted.
Earlier, Executive Secretary of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA), Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, thanked the Office of the Vice-President and the Lagos State Government, describing them as like-minded institutions engaged in ongoing discussions that would chart a new course for the youth population.
She explained that while the LJLA was established to mainstream human capital development and empower Nigerian youths, the Abuja Dialogue will attract key stakeholders to brainstorm on how to scale youth initiatives “from being palliative to being systematic”.
Agbaje-Okunade added that although the academy was created and endorsed by the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, its founding vision for youth development has expanded and is now set to spread across the nation.
According to her, the dialogue is focused on attracting relevant stakeholders and authorities to create a system that enables young people to pivot through the provision of an enabling environment.
She expressed optimism that the outcome of the dialogue will help institutionalize youth development initiatives in Nigeria.
On his part, Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos State on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, stressed that the governor, like his principal, President Bola Tinubu, is renowned for prioritizing youth empowerment.
He disclosed that the dialogue has received strong endorsement from the Lagos State governor and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
He added that the nation must begin to see youth development and innovation as a national priority, one that requires sustained media coverage and spotlighting.
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