A prominent youth group in Nigeria, Youth Bureau has urged governments at all levels to leverage the potential of the teeming population of young people in Nigeria to develop the country.

Youth Bureau’s Advisory Chairman, Razaq Olokoba made the call during the group’s inaugural conference held virtually on Tuesday with the theme: “Nigeria’s Democratic Future: Unlocking the Potentials of Youths”.

Olokoba in his remark said the importance of unlocking the potentials of young people cannot be overemphasized, adding that more integration of youths in leadership as well as other forms of empowerment will be beneficial for the society at large.

He maintained that including more young Nigerians in leadership and governance structure cannot be toiled with given the current population of young people and their untapped capabilities, urging the government to prioritize skills acquisition, and genuine empowerment programmes to address youth unemployment and foster national development.

Olokoba stressed that the time has come for the Federal Government and the 36 state governments to be intentional in developing the youths. Adding that “the essence of the Bureau is to find meeting point for older leaders to mentor the youth for their potentials to be fully utilized in all facets of national development, as well as getting the youths more involved in governance.

“We need to invest our time and efforts in Nigerian youths who are passionate about making an impact in their communities and whose contributions will paint a different picture of the country.

“I believe President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governor must align with the broader vision of nurturing untapped talents among Nigerian youths irrespective of region, gender, age, background, or literacy level,” He stressed.

Other speakers and participants during the conference drummed support for the government to take youth development more seriously as it has enormous potential to develop the nation’s democracy, economy, and social well-being, amongst others.

They averred that challenges to unlocking the potential include unemployment, underemployment, skill gap, political exclusion, and social inequality, urging the government to take urgent steps to bridge the existing gap.

Adding that unlocking the potential of Nigerian youths relies on connecting young people through involvement in mechanized agriculture, infrastructural development, mining, and leadership recruitment.