Ododo Leads as NYCN Endorses Tinubu for 2027, Babaginda Pledges Nationwide Youth Mobilisation
ABUJA
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office in 2027, citing the administration’s youth-focused programmes and interventions in education, technology, entrepreneurship and skills development.
The endorsement was announced at the Nigeria Youth Summit on Renewed Hope Agenda, held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, with youth leaders and representatives from the six geopolitical zones in attendance.
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, who served as the summit’s Chief Host, led the engagement, which provided a platform for youth stakeholders to assess the impact of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and examine opportunities for greater youth participation in national development.
In his welcome address, NYCN President, Comrade Babangida Onimisi Isah, said the summit was organised to evaluate the administration’s performance, approximately three and a half years into its tenure, and identify ways to improve young people’s access to government policies and programmes.
Held under the theme, “Nigerian Youth and Renewed Hope Agenda Dialogue: Assessing Impact, Unlocking Opportunities,” the gathering was described by the council as a non-partisan and solution-driven engagement.
Isah explained that the council’s decision to endorse Tinubu was based on what it described as measurable interventions targeted at young Nigerians, rather than political considerations.
He identified the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the revamped Nigeria Youth Investment Fund and the Renewed Hope employment and skills acquisition initiatives as key reasons behind the endorsement.
According to the NYCN president, NELFUND has provided more than 400,000 students in tertiary institutions with access to interest-free loans, while other programmes are designed to expand opportunities for young people in technology, entrepreneurship and vocational skills.
He said the initiatives had given many young Nigerians opportunities to participate more actively in the economy and contributed to the council’s decision to support the President’s re-election bid.
Isah also disclosed that one of the major outcomes expected from the summit was the adoption of a Nigerian Youth Resolution, which would communicate the collective position of the country’s youth constituency on the administration’s policies and programmes.
Ododo Urges Youths to Take Active Role in Politics
Addressing participants, Governor Ododo urged Nigerian youths to move beyond passive involvement in political affairs and take more active roles in shaping the country’s leadership and development.
The governor, who was celebrated by participants as a youth-friendly and detribalised leader, said the Renewed Hope Agenda had created opportunities that young Nigerians should take advantage of through active participation in governance and the democratic process.
He commended President Tinubu for what he described as the administration’s confidence in young people, particularly through interventions in student financing, digital skills development and access to capital.
Ododo maintained that the future of the country was being shaped by decisions and actions taken in the present, urging youths to sustain their engagement with the political process.
He said the opportunities provided under the administration should be protected and consolidated, while calling on young Nigerians to demonstrate their support through participation in the 2027 general elections.
The Kogi governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth inclusion, pointing to the appointment of young people into strategic positions as part of efforts to give them greater responsibilities in governance.
He further pledged to present the endorsement resolution to President Tinubu and lead a delegation of Nigerian youths to meet with the President in the near future.
NYCN Passes Vote of Confidence, Pledges Mobilisation
The summit featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, deliberations and breakout sessions, through which participants examined the administration’s policies and their implications for young people.
At the conclusion of the engagement, the NYCN said it had acknowledged the impact of the Tinubu administration, passed a vote of confidence in the President and formally endorsed him for a second term in 2027.
The council also pledged to mobilise support for the President ahead of the general elections, while reaffirming its commitment to the government and people of Nigeria.
The endorsement and proposed mobilisation effort mark the council’s stated position on the 2027 political process, following its assessment of the Federal Government’s youth-focused programmes at the Abuja summit.