Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has charged Nigerian youths to seize the opportunities created by the administration’s policies and programmes, urging them to rise as champions of their generation.
Dare, who also serves as Chairman of the Youth and Student Ministries Advisory Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, gave the charge on Wednesday while addressing over 24,000 young people at the Arise Congress 2.0, themed “The Emergence of Champions”, held at the Baptist International Convention Centre, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
The presidential aide said President Tinubu’s administration had initiated several policies to empower young Nigerians with faith, skills, and resources to achieve their potential.
He listed key programmes such as the NELFUND tuition loans and stipends, which now benefit more than 600,000 students, the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, which targets three million vulnerable households with affordable housing, and interventions in food security and poverty alleviation through the release of grains from federal reserves and emergency nutrition support in states.
“These are not just policies on paper; they are platforms for reaching your potential and excelling. President Tinubu believes in the energy of Nigerian youths and has shown it with action,” Dare said.
He stressed that while government support was necessary, youths must embrace character, discipline, determination, and self-motivation to succeed.
“I am not here to talk about politics. I am here to remind you that you have the responsibility to take advantage of the opportunities before you, and to impact your communities positively,” he added.
Dare urged Nigerian youths to have faith in the Tinubu administration, describing them as “the champions of this government,” and encouraged them to rise above excuses to shape the country’s future.
The gathering also featured leading clerics and youth leaders, including Rev. Israel Adelani Akanji, FAR, Convener and President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention; Rev. Dr. S. Olawuyi James, Host and Director of Youth and Student Ministries; Rev. Dr. Israel Kristilere, Chairman of the Central Planning Committee; Rev. Michael Onyegbu; Pastor Fela Durotoye; and Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo.
