By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Stakeholders have called for sustained investment in youth-led organisations and greater inclusion of young people in decision-making, warning that participation without influence and resources will limit their contributions to Nigeria’s development.
Celebrating five years of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) in Abuja, LEAP Africa launched a dynamic two-day gathering under the theme “Powering Youth Leadership Ecosystems for Nigeria’s Democratic and Development Futures.”
Opening the event on Wednesday, LEAP Africa Executive Director Kehinde Ayeni urged institutions to invest directly in young leaders.
She highlighted that equipping youth with adequate resources and platforms is vital to securing Nigeria’s democratic and developmental future.
She advocated regular reviews of youth development policies and strategic plans, arguing that governments must respond more frequently to the changing needs of young Nigerians.
“Strategic planning must be frequent. It cannot be something you do once in four years, but something that you are revisiting every year to see how we are responding to the plight of young people,” she emphasized.
Ayeni also maintained that young Nigerians should be actively involved in developing solutions to the country’s challenges rather than merely celebrated for their potential.
“Young people have the agency, the voice and creativity, and should be celebrated, but more so should be sought after when we think around solutions towards nation-building processes,” she stressed.
Speaking with PersecondNews on the sidelines of the event, Ayeni disclosed that the fund, established in 2021, had reached 22,000 Nigerians across the country in its five years of operation.
She noted that about 1,000 individuals, initiatives, institutions and organisations had received direct grants, training and other forms of support, including opportunities to participate in local and international engagements.
According to her, the programme deliberately covered different states and communities, including minority groups, internally displaced persons and persons with disabilities.
Ayeni also highlighted LEAP Africa’s engagement with state and federal ministries responsible for youth development, sports and education to strengthen youth policy and ensure young people have a voice in shaping their future.
In his Goodwill message, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, country representative, Cheikh Dumane Toure, challenged stakeholders to move beyond inviting young people to participate in discussions towards giving them the power and resources to influence decisions.
According to him, the impact of youth development initiatives should be measured by the opportunities they create, the survival of youth-led organisations beyond project funding and the willingness of institutions to listen.
“The real measure is what happens afterwards. Does the young person go home to more opportunities? Do youth-led organisations survive when project funding ends? Do our institutions listen better than before?” he said.
Toure also maintained that young people would create their own platforms if institutions failed to give them meaningful opportunities to shape their future.
“Young people are not waiting. If you don’t create a space or a chair at the table, they will create their own table and define their own future,” he noted.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager, West Africa and Nigeria at the Ford Foundation, Joy Ehinor-Esezubor, stated that the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund was established to address the funding and institutional challenges confronting youth-led movements and organisations.
“Many youth movements have passion but lack the funding, organisational strength and skills to sustain their work and engage effectively with institutions,” she said.
Ehinor-Esezubor disclosed that, as of 2025, the fund had supported more than 800 youth-led organisations and programmes through mentoring, organisational development and other interventions.
She reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to investing in young people, describing them as leaders whose contributions should shape society today rather than being deferred to the future.
“At the Ford Foundation, we believe young people are leaders today, not just leaders for tomorrow. Their voices must be heard, and they must have the resources and opportunities to shape the societies they live in,” she said.
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