By Hosea Parah
The Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization (CYMS) has called for greater youth inclusion in governance and national development, warning that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable progress by treating young people merely as beneficiaries of government programmes.
The Committee made the call in a statement issued by its Director-General, Chief Obinna Nwaka, to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day, marked globally on August 12.
The 2026 celebration is themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
CYMS said the theme highlights the shared aspirations of young people across cultural, economic, political and geographical divides, including the desire for dignity, opportunity, security, inclusion and meaningful participation in society.
According to the organisation, the message is particularly relevant to Nigeria, where young people constitute one of the country’s greatest assets but continue to face unemployment, inadequate access to quality education, economic hardship, insecurity and limited opportunities.
“Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable development by treating its youthful population merely as beneficiaries of government programmes. Young Nigerians must be recognised as partners, stakeholders and co-creators of the nation’s future,” Nwaka said.
The CYMS Director-General urged governments at all levels, the private sector, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and development partners to create an enabling environment where young Nigerians can discover and maximise their potential irrespective of region, religion, ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic background.
He called for increased investment in quality education, vocational and digital skills, entrepreneurship, creative industries, technology, agriculture and youth-led innovation.
Nwaka also advocated expanded access to affordable financing and mentorship, stressing that youth empowerment must move beyond slogans and occasional interventions to become a sustained component of Nigeria’s national development strategy.
While demanding greater opportunities for young people, CYMS also urged Nigerian youths to embrace responsibility and reject activities capable of undermining the country’s peace and development.
The organisation specifically cautioned youths against violence, criminality, drug abuse, hate speech and divisive politics, while encouraging them to embrace education, enterprise, innovation, civic participation and peaceful advocacy.
“Our diversity should never become a barrier to our collective progress. Different contexts should not produce different destinies,” the statement said.
CYMS noted that whether a young Nigerian lives in Lagos, Maiduguri, Kwoi, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano or any other community, the aspiration remains fundamentally the same—to live in a country where hard work is rewarded, talent is recognised, justice is accessible and the future is not determined by circumstances of birth.
The organisation consequently renewed its commitment to mobilising, sensitising and empowering Nigerian youths to become responsible citizens and active participants in nation-building.
It further called for stronger intergenerational partnerships and a deliberate national framework that would place young people at the centre of Nigeria’s development agenda.
According to CYMS, the future of Nigeria is not merely something young people are waiting to inherit, but one that is already being shaped by their talents, energy, choices and aspirations.
The organisation congratulated Nigerian youths and young people across the world on the occasion of the 2026 International Youth Day.
It ended its message with a call for unity and collective purpose: “Different contexts. Common aspirations. One future. One Nigeria.”