Ambassador Solomon Adodo, a member of the governing board of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), has charged Nigerian youths with using their potential for national development and self-actualisation.
In an address he delivered yesterday to a cross-section of Nigerian youth, government officials and development partners in Abuja to mark the International Youth Day 2025, Adodo said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by his inclusive policy, has challenged the country’s youths to be a part of finding and implementing solutions to the nation’s numerous problems.
The acclaimed national youth leader spoke on the theme, “From Potential to Productivity: The Nigerian Youth Mandate.”
Adodo declared that Nigeria is “a nation of greatness in motion” and that the youth must be the “engine room” of its transformation.
He said, “Today, we move from discussing what we can achieve to doing it. For too long, we have celebrated our potential; now we must convert that potential to undeniable productivity. The time for excuses is over. The time to build has come.”
The NCDC representative for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) urged young Nigerians to assume the role of “co-governors” of the country, stressing that national development cannot be achieved only through collective efforts.
He said, “The developed parts of the world were all built on collective efforts. For instance, America’s founding fathers transformed farm lands into a global superpower, and Asia rose from the ashes to become a world leader in technology and industry. With increased productivity, we, too, can become great.
“Harnessing the power of public-private collaboration, the recent discussion by the federal government with Innoson Motors founder, who pledged to expand technical and vocational training to all 36 states, is a step in the right direction. Nigerian youth must, therefore, seize this opportunity to actualise our desire to be the productivity hub of the world.
“Instead of negative criticisms, I urge you all to take advantage of government efforts to bring development close to the people through the establishment of regional development commissions and key into viable opportunities in agriculture, ICT, manufacturing, and innovation to contribute our quota to national development,” he said.
Adodo concluded his address by charging Nigerian youth with not being “a generation of passive actors in the affairs of their nation but a generation that will be known for turning potential into productivity and productivity into prosperity.”
The event, held to commemorate the United Nations’ International Youth Day, was attended by youth leaders from across Nigeria, representatives from the Presidency, civil society organisations, and development agencies.
