August 12, 2025 – The Federal Government has called on private sectors, donor agencies, and civil society organisations to make sustained investments in youth-led innovations as a critical step toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and building a better future beyond 2030.
Speaking in Abuja at the 2025 International Youth Day Youth Innovation Funfair themed “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said young people are not just beneficiaries of the global goals but active co-creators of solutions that can transform Nigeria and the world.
“Your innovation is the bridge between today’s Nigeria and the Nigeria we dream for future generations,” Olawande told participants. He urged partners to support youth initiatives with funding, mentorship, and access to markets, noting that over 60% of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 25.
He said the creativity and energy of young Nigerians are already driving changes in agriculture, health, education, renewable energy, and digital technology.
The Minister observed that young innovators face challenges such as limited access to finance and market opportunities. He explained that the Youth Innovation Funfair, organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, was created to connect youth innovators with investors, partners, and mentors.
Olawande pledged the Ministry’s commitment to improving policies for youth entrepreneurship, expanding access to finance, creating opportunities for global exposure, and ensuring youth voices are central in decision-making at all levels.
“Let us leave here committed to empowering our youth to lead in achieving the SDGs, and to continue shaping our nation long after 2030,” he said. “Together, we can achieve the SDGs and go beyond.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, reaffirmed that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, youth engagement and development remain a national priority.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Nigeria Youth Academy, the Nigeria Youth Help Desk, and the Nigeria Youth Parliament, as well as programmes that expand digital skills, promote entrepreneurship, and reform institutions like the NYSC.
Olusanya said these efforts aim to equip young Nigerians to lead, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Delivering a goodwill message, the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, described this year’s theme as highly relevant for the country.
She stated that the Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved in major capitals like New York, Geneva, or Abuja alone, but in local communities where everyday life happens. With over 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, she said Nigeria is at the heart of a historic demographic movement.
Ms. Attafuah emphasised that Nigerian youth are not only the “future workforce” but also problem solvers, innovators, and nation-builders of today.
She pointed out that across the country, young people are already reimagining agriculture, developing technology solutions, using art for peacebuilding, and launching green enterprises to address climate change.