The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has called on the private sector, donor agencies, and civil society organisations to increase investments in youth-led innovations, describing such support as critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a better future beyond 2030.
Speaking in Abuja during the 2025 International Youth Day Youth Innovation Funfair themed “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond”, Olawande said Nigerian youth are not just beneficiaries of the SDGs but co-creators of solutions that can transform both the country and the world.
“Your innovation is the bridge between today’s Nigeria and the Nigeria we dream for future generations,” the Minister told participants, urging partners to back promising initiatives with funding, mentorship, and market access.
Highlighting that over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 25, Olawande described the country’s youthful demographic as its greatest asset, with creativity and energy already driving change in sectors such as agriculture, health, education, renewable energy, and digital technology.
He, however, acknowledged that young innovators face significant challenges, particularly limited access to finance and markets. The Youth Innovation Funfair, he explained, was designed by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to connect innovators with investors, partners, and mentors, thereby bridging those gaps.
Olawande pledged the ministry’s commitment to improving policies for youth entrepreneurship, expanding access to finance, providing opportunities for global exposure, and ensuring that youth voices are represented in decision-making at all levels.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, reaffirmed that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, youth engagement and development have become a national priority. He cited programmes such as the Nigeria Youth Academy, Nigeria Youth Help Desk, and Nigeria Youth Parliament, as well as digital skills initiatives, entrepreneurship promotion, and NYSC reforms, as part of efforts to prepare young Nigerians to lead and innovate.
Delivering a goodwill message, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, said this year’s theme was timely for the country. She stressed that the SDGs will be achieved in everyday spaces such as towns, villages, campuses, and communities, not just in major policy centres. With over 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, she noted, Nigeria stands at the heart of a historic demographic shift.
Ms. Attafuah praised Nigerian youth as problem solvers, innovators, and nation-builders, citing examples in agriculture, technology, art for peacebuilding, and green enterprises. “When young people are equipped with the right tools, platforms, and trust, they do not just participate in change, they lead it,” she said, adding that the UNDP’s work with Nigerian youth is “bold, strategic, and growing.”
The event featured innovation booths, pitch sessions, networking spaces, masterclasses, and cultural showcases, highlighting the readiness of Nigerian youth to turn bold ideas into impactful solutions.
