The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, , has urged Nigerian youths to pay close attention to government programmes and use them to build rewarding careers and contribute to national development.
Tijani said President consistently stresses that Nigeria, with an average age of 16.9 years and more than 60 per cent of its population under 30, cannot afford to ignore deliberate investment in young people. He noted, however, that such investments would not deliver results if young Nigerians failed to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.
The minister spoke at the close of a three-day end-of-year basketball competition tagged Tech Meets Basketball, organised by the Bosun Tijani Foundation at the Alake Sports Centre in Ijeja, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He said the programme combined sports, technology awareness and youth engagement to encourage young people to think beyond immediate challenges.
According to Tijani, the current generation of young Nigerians has access to information and opportunities that were not available in the past. While he acknowledged the right of youths to demand accountability from leaders, he stressed the need for them to also use existing resources to shape their future.
“We are living at a time when information is power, and that power should be used to build a glorious future for yourselves,” he said.
Sharing personal experiences, Tijani recalled that access to technology was limited during his early years. “When I was in secondary school in Abeokuta, I was desperate to learn computing, but there was no computer centre,” he said. “Things have changed now. Government has computer centres all over, including NCC centres. Some young people now live in Nigeria and work for foreign companies.”
He encouraged youths to take advantage of initiatives such as the Federal Government’s Three Million Technical Talent programme, which is designed to equip Nigerians with digital and technical skills for global opportunities. He also urged students to explore the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, describing it as a landmark effort to ensure that no Nigerian is denied tertiary education due to lack of funds.
“This has never happened before. Our youths must pay attention to what the government is doing, find ways to benefit, and become valuable to themselves, their families and the nation,” Tijani said.
Explaining why he sponsored the basketball tournament, the minister said it was part of his commitment to giving back to society and investing in young people. “If we truly care about Nigeria, we must invest in platforms that allow our youths to exhibit and hone their skills to become great in life,” he said. He added that the event also provided a space for young people to relax, socialise and celebrate at the end of the year, while disclosing plans to make the tournament an annual programme.
In his remarks, Ogun State Governor, , said the initiative aligned with his administration’s focus on youth empowerment, talent development and the use of sports to promote unity. Represented by his Chief of Staff, Toyin Taiwo, the governor commended Tijani’s approach to engaging young people.
“This tournament is more than a competition; it is a platform of hope, aspiration and purpose,” Abiodun said, noting that sports promote teamwork, discipline, resilience, leadership and respect. He urged youths not to allow their backgrounds to limit their ambitions but to remain focused and determined.
Recent Federal Government youth-focused initiatives include the 3MTT programme aimed at creating two million digital jobs by 2025, the distribution of over 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles, the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Academy to train seven million youths, and the creation of NELFUND to support access to tertiary education.
