Youth Activism Earned Nigeria Independence, Says VC

Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University (GSU), Prof. Sani Ahmed Yauta, has said Nigeria’s Independence was secured primarily through the activism and sacrifices of young people, stressing that their role in nation-building remains indispensable.

At the Independence Day Symposium organised by the Gombe State Youth Parliament on Wednesday at the Old Multipurpose Hall of Gombe State University, Prof. Yauta said history would be incomplete without acknowledging the struggles of youth organisations such as the West African Students’ Union, whose activism unsettled colonial authorities and hastened the attainment of self-rule on October 1, 1960.

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Isaac Ediba, the vice chancellor said, “Without the activism, courage and commitment of young people to self-rule, Nigeria would not have attained independence 65 years ago. It was not handed to us on a platter of gold, but won through the sacrifices and struggles of the youth,” he said.

He commended the Gombe State Youth Parliament for organising the symposium themed “The Role of Young People in Nation Building”, noting that the initiative aligns with the university’s student-centered vision of empowering the next generation with civic responsibility and leadership skills.

Yauta urged the youth to emulate the patriotism of their predecessors by channelling their energy and creativity into innovation, entrepreneurship, and governance rather than allowing themselves to be distracted by indifference or destructive habits.

In his welcome address, the speaker of the Gombe State Youth Parliament, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Danladi, said young people constitute over 62 per cent of the state’s population, according to the Gombe State Development Plan projection. He stressed that this demographic strength must be harnessed for growth and progress rather than wasted on vices.

“The future is not tomorrow—it begins with the choices we make today. Let us rise above indifference, embrace innovation, and channel our collective strength into building the Gombe and Nigeria we all desire,” he urged.

The guest speaker, Dr Sani Yakubu of the Federal College of Education, Gombe, described the youth as the backbone of every nation and agents of change.

He urged them to take up the mantle of responsibility in driving social, political, and economic transformation.