Nigerian Youths Deserve Jobs, Not Excuses for Hardship, Tinubu Says

President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the growing demand among Nigerian youths for employment, affordable living conditions and better opportunities, saying young people deserve tangible results rather than explanations for the country’s economic challenges.

The President stated this through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, at the closing ceremony of the 2026 National Youth Conference held in Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Tinubu acknowledged that ongoing economic reforms had come with sacrifices but stressed the need to translate them into meaningful opportunities for young Nigerians.

He said young people deserved a country where hard work was rewarded, talents were recognised and access to opportunities was not determined by personal connections or place of birth.

“I know that these reforms have come with sacrifices. But I also know that young Nigerians deserve more than explanations about the difficulties of today. You deserve to see the opportunities of tomorrow becoming realities in your lives,” the President said.

Tinubu highlighted his administration’s investments in education, technical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship through initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, YouthCred and the Nigerian Youth Academy.

He, however, emphasised the importance of ensuring that skills acquisition programmes lead to employment, innovation attracts investment and young entrepreneurs have access to financing regardless of their backgrounds or locations.

On the recommendations of the conference, the President said its success would be measured by the extent to which they translated into concrete government action.

He warned against allowing the recommendations to become another government report without implementation, directing the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, the private sector and development partners to establish a clear implementation framework.

The framework, he said, must contain defined priorities, assigned responsibilities, realistic timelines and measurable indicators of progress.

Tinubu also stressed that young Nigerians must be actively involved in implementing and monitoring the outcomes of the conference rather than being engaged only during deliberations.

Earlier, Olawande disclosed that the conference had produced an 18-point action agenda covering six priority areas, following nationwide virtual consultations and physical engagements with youth representatives from across Nigeria and the diaspora.

He explained that the recommendations would be pursued through the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government, with the Ministry of Youth Development coordinating efforts with relevant stakeholders to ensure their implementation.

“For the first time in the history of this country, the youth can feel the government, see the government, and touch the government,” the minister said.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, urged young Nigerians to take greater responsibility for shaping the country’s economic future.

He cautioned that negative perceptions and misleading narratives could discourage investment and undermine efforts to create employment opportunities.

“A factory that is not built means jobs that are not created,” Oyedele said, calling on the delegates to embrace constructive engagement, innovation and practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.