Harness Opportunities From National Reforms — Minister

Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris has urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the opportunities created by ongoing national reforms, describing them as vital pathways for personal development and sustainable nation-building.

He made the call while delivering the 2026 Convocation Lecture at the 34th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State.

The lecture was titled, “Youth and Nation Building: Navigating Opportunities in an Era of National Reforms.”

Addressing graduating students, the minister described Nigeria as a youthful nation with enormous potential, noting that the country’s future largely depends on how well its young population is educated, skilled and productively engaged.

“Nigeria, like the rest of Africa, happens to be a very youthful country, with half of our population under the age of 20, and three-quarters under the age of 35,” he said, “With the right education, skilling and preparation for the rapidly transforming workspaces of the 21st century, Nigeria will be an unstoppable global force.”

He said the reforms being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration were deliberate and necessary steps aimed at resetting Nigeria’s economic and governance systems, stressing that meaningful nation-building cannot occur without reform.

“There is no nation-building without reforms,” Idris said. “Reforms protect us from the trap of doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results.”

Highlighting key reforms such as the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange unification and the introduction of new tax laws, the Minister said the policies were designed to create a fairer and more transparent system capable of unlocking resources for development and investment.

“The goal was never to take more from Nigerians, but to simplify taxation and make it fairer and more transparent,” he noted.

According to him, the reforms are already attracting renewed investor confidence and opening up opportunities across critical sectors including technology, agriculture, renewable energy and the creative economy, with young Nigerians positioned as the primary beneficiaries.

Idris also cited government-backed initiatives such as the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said has supported hundreds of thousands of students nationwide, as evidence that the Renewed Hope Agenda is delivering tangible results.

“Through NELFUND, we have incontrovertible proof that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real, functional, impactful and transformational,” he said.

The Minister encouraged the graduating students to see themselves as active builders of the nation, urging them to engage with available opportunities, continuously develop their skills, embrace lifelong learning and consider public service as a means of contributing to national development.

He congratulated the graduating students and expressed appreciation to the management of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, for the invitation to deliver the convocation lecture.