Ministry Endorses Proposed First Female Youth Conference

The federal government has said initiatives aimed at empowering young women through leadership development, financial literacy and civic participation align with the priorities of the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This was emphasised at an engagement between officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance and organisers of the First National Female Youth Conference 2026, jointly convened by Michelle’s Youth Initiative for Sustainable Development and the Nigeria Female Youths Organisation, ahead of the planned national gathering.

The conference, themed, “Her Voice, Her Future: Nigeria Female Youths Shaping National Action” is scheduled to hold from August 6 to 8, 2026, and is expected to attract over 1,000 young women leaders from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

During a meeting in Abuja yesterday, the director of Special Duties at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Sani-Yusuf Fatima, who received the delegation on behalf of the minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, said programmes focused on women and youth empowerment were in line with government’s broader economic and social development objectives.

According to her, President Tinubu remains committed to youth and women development, stressing that initiatives promoting leadership, mentorship and economic participation among young people are essential for national growth.

She noted that the initiative by the organisers aligned with the administration’s focus on inclusive development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Sani-Yusuf, however, expressed concerns on social challenges affecting young people, particularly members of Gen Z, stressing the need for interventions that strengthen values, leadership capacity and economic opportunities.

Earlier, the president of the Nigeria Female Youths Organisation, Princess Mimi Peters, said one of the objectives of the initiative is to reduce the growing economic and social vulnerabilities pushing many young women into prostitution and other harmful coping mechanisms.

She said Nigeria has over 60 million young women between the ages of 15 and 35, yet financial inclusion and participation in formal policy discussions remain relatively low.

According to Peters, the conference will focus on leadership development, governance, entrepreneurship, national security, financial inclusion and civic participation to bridge existing gaps.

She said the organisers are seeking collaboration with the finance ministry in areas including financial literacy training, technical support, youth-focused economic education programmes and policy dialogue sessions.