By John Ogunsemore
The Nigerian Regional Youth Leaders Coalition has called on the federal government to appoint youth capital development officers for each of the six regional development commissions in the country.
The coalition made the call in a statement issued after its Regional Youth Leaders Conference held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The statement was jointly signed by Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Babtee (Ondo State), Comr Usman Saidu (Kano State), Nnaemeka Oruh (Abia State), Comr. Umaru Bala Babayaro (Kaduna State), Oghwere Ejiroghene Henry (Delta State), Kpakol Gbaraka Letom (Rivers State), and Dr Saad Dodo (Adamawa State).
Others are Hon. Famuyibo Oluwasegun (Ekiti State), Miss Jenifer Ornguga (Benue State), Ahmed Abdulhakeem (Kwara State) and Charles Ezemiekwe (Anambra State) and Mariam Yunusa (Borno State).
According to the coalition, the appointment of youth capital development officers is a crucial step toward mainstreaming youth development in Nigeria’s regional growth strategies.
It said the proposed youth capital development officers would serve as liaisons between regional development programmes and the youth population.
The coalition, which comprises youth leaders from across the geopolitical zones, emphasised the urgent need for structured youth representation in various development commissions, South South Development Commission (SSDC), North East Development Commission (NEDC), North West Development Commission, North Central Development Commission, South East Development Commission and South West Development Commission.
The coalition expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for helping to galvanise the “development of the regional resources which have been dormant since time immemorial”.
The statement reads, “For instance, the six regions (NE, NC, NW, SS, SE, SW) are all characterised by a bunch of mineral deposits such as granite, granite gneiss, quartzite, charnockite , gypsum, lithium, gold, coal, bitumen, iron ore, lead/zinc, and various gemstones. Others include tantalite, limestone, kaolin, baryte, talc, rock salt, petroleum amongst others.
“We strongly believe this initiative will help to propel the development of these resources and consequently generate income for the regions and as well as the federal government.
“However, the energy and the tenacity of the youthful population of this great nation is highly required to accomplish these objectives.
“The coalition, therefore, proposes the inclusion of vibrant and brilliant Nigerian youths to be included in the composition of the regional development commissions.”
Their role would include coordinating youth-focused initiatives, advocating for capacity-building programs, and ensuring that young people are actively engaged in regional planning and implementation processes.
“Nigeria’s youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow—they are critical stakeholders in the present.
“By integrating Youth Capital Development Officers into each regional commission, we can institutionalise youth involvement in decision-making and ensure they are equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development,” the coalition said.
It noted that while youth constitute over 70% of Nigeria’s population, their involvement in key developmental structures is seen to be minimal especially in regional development.
“The appointment of these officers will be a concrete step toward addressing this imbalance and achieving the government’s goals of inclusive and sustainable development,” the coalition said.
The coalition advocated for these officers to be empowered with budgetary allocation, programmatic authority under the presidency, and access to decision-making platforms within their respective commissions.
“The Nigerian Regional Youth Leaders Coalition is urging the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Ministry of Regional development and relevant stakeholders in the National Assembly to support this proposal and make it a national policy directive,” the statement reads in part.
“From unemployment to insecurity, many of Nigeria’s pressing issues disproportionately affect young people. It is only logical that we be part of the solution—through strategic inclusion, not tokenism,” the coalition stressed.