Nwoko tells Nigerian youths: Build the future now

Nathan Tamarapreye

Senator Ned Nwoko has urged Nigerian youths to stop viewing themselves simply as leaders-in-waiting and take a more active role in shaping the country now.

Nwoko, who represents Delta North in the Senate, made the call in a message to mark the 2026 International Youth Day, urging young Nigerians to remain ambitious, resilient and engaged in public life.

“As we celebrate International Youth Day, I urge Nigerian youths to remain ambitious, resilient and engaged in the affairs of our nation,” he said.

“Your voices matter. Your ideas matter. Your participation matters.

“The future belongs to you, but, most importantly, the present belongs to you too. Nigeria needs your energy, ideas and courage today.”

In a message themed “Beyond Tomorrow: The Generation Building Nigeria Today,” Nwoko said young Nigerians were already central to the country’s progress rather than merely preparing to inherit its leadership.

He pointed to young entrepreneurs building businesses, professionals driving innovation, farmers sustaining communities and creatives taking Nigerian culture to audiences around the world.

“Young people in every field are contributing to the progress of our nation,” he said.

Nwoko, a member of the All Progressives Congress, said that reality had shaped his approach to legislative work, particularly his focus on policies and initiatives intended to expand opportunities for younger Nigerians.

The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, said several bills and initiatives he had sponsored were aimed at improving access to education and skills, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and enabling young people to participate more meaningfully in Nigeria’s economic and social development.

He said young Nigerians needed more than encouragement or ceremonial recognition. What mattered, he argued, was creating an environment in which their ideas could flourish, their talents could find expression and their efforts could lead to tangible opportunities.

Nwoko said he remained committed to using legislation and public service to help build a country where young people would not have to wait for a distant future before realising their potential.

He congratulated young Nigerians contributing to national development and encouraged them to remain engaged in building the country.

“Happy International Youth Day to all Nigerian youths,” he said.