The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has outlined key strategies for developing a sustainable youth framework that can drive Nigeria’s national growth and good governance.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at a conference organised by the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), themed “Nigeria at 65: Reviving Values and Volunteerism Amongst Nigerian Youth”, Olaopa delivered a keynote address titled “Value-Driven Leadership: Bridging the Gap Between Youth Aspirations and the Realities of Public Service”.
He said that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria has the potential to effectively harness its youth capital for economic transformation and improved governance.
While commending ongoing efforts to deepen youth engagement through national summits and dialogues, Olaopa emphasised the need to consolidate the outcomes of these initiatives into a revised National Youth Policy (NYP).
According to him, Nigeria should leverage existing continental frameworks such as the African Youth Charter and the African Youth Decade Plan of Action as benchmarks, rather than starting from scratch.
“Implementing the new national youth strategy should therefore adopt policies capable of igniting a significant shift from the assumption that youth matter and their progress is an all-government affair,” he said.
Olaopa also called for stronger collaboration beyond government, urging greater inclusion of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), and faith-based groups – which he described as critical partners in youth development.
He proposed the creation of a National Youth Development Index (NYDI) to set measurable objectives and track progress through stakeholder participation and shared vision.
