Leveraging Nigeria’s Young Population For National Growth And Development: 12th Birthday Lecture For Pastor Enoch Adeboye by SAN Ebun Adegboruwa
PROTOCOLS
Let me first acknowledge the Almighty God who has preserved all of us to witness this epochal event that has continued to shape our national life in many ways, given the eloquent history of its rich impact, upon the Body of Christ, and the world at large, over the years. I thank the Organizing Committee for counting me worthy to be part of this laudable vision to celebrate the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, who has become a gift of God to this generation and the ones to follow. Given all that I now know, my choice as Guest Speaker for the 12th Edition of this Public Lecture must be God’s way of acknowledging the positive impact of the man of God on millions of people all over the globe, including me. I join millions of his admirers, proteges and mentees all over the world, to glorify God on behalf of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, to congratulate him on the occasion of his 84th Birthday Anniversary and to pray for many more years in good health, divine wisdom and strength to finish strong and to finish well, in Jesus name.
INTRODUCTION
It is axiomatic that the glory of young men is their strength. Indeed, youthfulness is usefulness. It is as true as sunrise that youths remain the backbone of nation-building. The youthful demography of any nation represents a deep well and repository of vital energy, fresh ideas, innovation, creative genius, and more. If properly inspired and engaged, the potential of the youth can be tapped for inestimable contribution to national growth and development in all areas of our national life. Without a shadow of doubt, Nigeria’s youth constitute the majority of the Nigerian population. They are not merely “leaders of tomorrow”; they are drivers of today’s economy. National growth and development depend on intentional policies that empower, equip and engage this vast youthful population. When youth potential is matched with opportunity and good governance, Nigeria’s demographic structure can become its greatest engine of transformation.
THE YOUTH IN RELEVANCE
In drawing global relevance to this unique breed, God proclaims to the youth that “let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Leaders and institutions across the globe have echoed this divine agenda to integrate the youth into global reckoning. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, “we cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” For Mahatma Gandhi, “if we are to reach real peace in this world … we shall have to begin with children.” The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, postulates that “you are never too young to lead, and never too old to learn”, while the Indian rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi, states that the power of the youth is a “commonwealth for the entire world”, highlighting their impact, worldview, enthusiasm, and courage. Dr. Nelson Mandela had once opined that “… young people are the leaders of tomorrow”. For him, ‘young people are capable, when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom.’ No phrase best highlights the relevance of the youth than the statement of the present Secretary-General of Community of Democracies, Thomas E. Garrett, on the occasion of the International Youths Day on August 12, 2025: “The youth wants to and should be involved, and the role of the governments is to provide them with adequate space and opportunities to advance their civic engagement and political participation at both local and national levels.”
It is in recognition of this that today’s topic finds greater relevance as Pastor E.A. Adeboye and The Redeemed Christian Church of God are in tune with this global reckoning for the youth through several policy actions and programmes.
CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS
MEANING OF YOUTH:
In its basic ordinary meaning, ‘youth’ means “the period of your life when you are young, or the state of being young”. It could also denote young people, both male and female, considered as a group. It means the time of life when a person is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult.
What, however, poses a challenge is how to determine a generally accepted age bracket of the youth. In that regard, the term ‘youth’ is versatile and as such, is not easily amenable to a generally accepted definition, particularly regarding those who qualify as ‘youth’ or ‘young persons.’ Nevertheless, there exist certain qualities or attributes which generally define who falls into the category of ‘youth’. At this juncture, we shall consider some of the definitions of the term ‘youth’, especially with reference to age bracket, according to the following sources:
UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations – for statistical purposes – defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years (UN Secretariat/UNESCO/ILO), without prejudice to other definitions by Member States. Moreover, several UN entities, instruments and regional organizations have somewhat different definitions of youth, which the United Nations secretariat recognizes. For instance, the UN Habitat (Youth Fund) defines youth age-group as 15 – 32; UNICEF/WHO/UNFPA defines Young People as those from 10 – 24 years of age and Youth as 15 – 24 years of age.
THE AFRICAN YOUTH CHARTER
The African Youth Charter (UN regional instrument) defines Youth as those between the ages of 15 to 35 years.
NIGERIAN LAWS:
THE CONSTITUTION, (CFRN), 1999
Although the term ‘youth’ is not expressly defined under the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 (as altered), it however establishes key age thresholds that affect young persons. Thus, such a person becomes a full legal adult with capacity to vote, contract, and enjoy civil rights and eligibility for public office: (House of Representatives/State Assembly – 25 years of age; Senate/Governorship/President: 35.
For context, the CFRN, 1999, in its Section 29 (1) & (4) (a), sets the majority (full) age at 18 years and above in the following terms:
“29 (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section-
(a) “full age” means the age of eighteen years and above.”
Under and by virtue of Section 77 (2) of the Constitution, as earlier indicated, 18 years is set as the age to be registered to vote.
“77 (2) Every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of eighteen years, residing in Nigeria at the time of the registration of voters for purposes of election to a legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for that election.”
YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS
With respect to youth participation in politics, the enactment of the CFRN (Fourth Alteration, No. 7) Act, 2018 (a.k.a. Not Too Young to Run Act, 2018) as a constitutional reform intended to reduce the age of qualification for elective public offices, removes age-barriers that excluded young Nigerians from contesting elections, it promotes inclusive democracy and youth political participation has become a significant welcome watershed in respect of youth involvement in politics and governance.
THE CHILD RIGHTS ACT, 2003 (CRA)
The Child Rights Act defines a child as a person under 18 years of age, guaranteeing certain rights to health, education, and protection from abuse/marriage/labour (under 18) and also offering child-friendly justice system. The legal implication of this definition is that a person who attains the age of 18 is deemed to have attained the age of legal majority and certainly exits the category of ‘child’ and qualifies as a youth. Furthermore, Section 21 of the CRA prohibits marriage for anyone under 18 years and the Marriage Act requires written parental consent for persons under the age of 21. The challenge with the CRA is that only 23 out of 36 States of the Federation have so far adopted it. Most Northern States have not.
LABOUR LAW
Under the Labour Law, a young person includes a person between the ages of 14 to 17 years (with limited employment), while a child is a person under 14 years, (generally prohibited from labour).
THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY AND YOUTH RELATIVISM
Perhaps, the most influential definition of the ‘youth’ in terms of age category is the one under Nigeria’s National Youth Policy of 2009 (NNYP). Adopting the definition under the African Youth Charter of 2006, the NNYP defines ‘youth’ as persons of age from 18 to 35 years.
However, some argue that youth is a matter of the heart and mind, such that even a chronologically older person – say someone above 40 years – may still identify as a youth. The reality, however, is that chronological juvenescence (i.e., the fact of being necessarily within a chronological young age bracket) is the common overarching denominator or element at the core of the meaning of youth, irrespective of the perspective of any society on the subject. Once a person has passed a particular age limit, he may clearly be said not to be a youth any more. Accordingly, the definition offered by the African Youth Charter and National Youth Policy (i.e. 15 to 35 years) shall be our functional/working definition of youth for the purpose of this discourse and we shall use the term ‘youth’ interchangeably or synonymously as the ideal “Young Population.”
NATIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
National growth and development is a comprehensive, long-term process where a country improves its overall well-being, encompassing economic expansion, social progress, and better quality of life for all citizens, involving structural changes in industry, human capital, governance, and infrastructure. It goes beyond just economic growth (like GDP increase) to include factors like education, health, poverty reduction, technological advancement, and political stability, aiming for a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable society. Thus, certain cardinal co-efficients and parameters by which national growth and development may be measured, exist. They include but are not limited to the following: economic growth, quality education, food security, social development, human capital, political and institutional strength, infrastructure, technological advancement, etc. While National Growth (or Economic Growth) forms part and parcel of development, focusing on quantitative increases in output; National Development is a broader concept, integrating growth and ensuring that resources are used to benefit society.
A practical example of this is the celebrant’s (Pastor Adeboye) vision and impact of creating the Redemption Camp at his early age and ministry as a youth and transforming it into the present-day Redemption City in his later years, still as a “youth”, developing durable infrastructure such as stable electricity, water, security, agriculture and thus creating job opportunities through the presence of established institutions such as banks, schools, shopping centres, hospitals, hotels and recreation centres, restaurants, and professional departments (IT Units, Legal Department, Statistics, Urban and Regional Planning, Medical Department, Finance Department, Admin and Personnel, Human Resources, Hospitality, Sanitation, Security, Traffic Mayor, Team Nehemiah, etc, for career advancements for the young and the not too young persons.
Constitutionally, the philosophical underpinning of Chapter II of the Nigerian Constitution on Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy is dominantly designed to enhance National Growth and Development at least in theory, a concept which the celebrant (Pastor Adeboye) imbibed and developed through godly vision, human capital and purpose. If we sustain the campaign to make Chapter II of the Constitution justiciable, it will translate into massive development for our people.
THE CHALLENGES OF YOUTH IN NIGERIA
It is important to first understand the challenges facing young people in Nigeria before the proper steps towards leveraging them for National Growth and Development. A cursory jet-tour through some of the key challenges reveals the following: poor quality of education, unemployment and underemployment, poverty and economic hardship, limited access to capital and opportunities, systemic political exclusion and marginalization, criminality, insecurity and violence, corruption and weak institutions, abuse of drugs and social vices, digital illiteracy and cybercrime, brain drain and dearth of talent, mental health challenges, erosion of values and social support systems, lack of inspiring leadership and mentorship, victims of the broken home syndrome, the list continues.
NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS: THE VISION AND ITS CHALLENGES
Justice would not have been seen to be done to the topic of the challenges of youth in Nigeria without a word on the regime of the National Youth Service Corps (the Service Corps). The Service Corps was established in 1973 by General Yakubu Gowon via Decree No. 24, post-Civil War, in order to foster national unity, reconciliation, and integration by mobilizing graduates for a one-year service in different parts of the country, promoting cultural understanding, and contributing to community development in education, health, and infrastructure. It aims to build common ties, break down ethnic barriers, and create a stronger, self-reliant nation through shared experiences and national service.
The vision of the scheme is embodied in its objectives. Section 1(3)(a)-(g) of the law provides for these objectives, thus:
1(3): The objectives of the service corps shall be:
(a) to inculcate discipline in Nigerian youths by instilling in them a tradition of industry at work, and, of patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria in any situation they may find themselves;
(b) raise the moral tone of the Nigerian youths by giving them the opportunity to learn about higher ideals of national achievement, social and cultural improvement;
(c) develop in the Nigerian youths the attitudes of mind, acquired through shared experience and suitable training, which will make them more amenable to mobilization in the national interest;
(d) enable Nigerian youths acquire the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self-employment;
(e) contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy;
(f) develop common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration;
(g) remove prejudices, eliminate ignorance and confirm at first hand the many similarities among Nigerians of all ethnic groups; and develop a sense of corporate existence and common destiny of the people of Nigeria.
The Service Corps was a deft move by the then military government to stem the tide of post-Civil War national trauma. It was believed that the scheme would foster strong ties among the youth as they will be posted outside their region to another region. Genuine integration was needed if Nigeria will remain one and the youth (graduates) were the tools that can make it happen. The scheme actually worked at that time, there were inter-marriages then. Everlasting friendship was formed, gradually hope and trust returned to Nigeria.
However, due to the rising tide of insecurity all over the nation but more seriously in the Northern part of the Country, due to religious intolerance and terrorism (Boko Haram), insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, etc., there is now an atmosphere of foreboding apprehension. Parents and guardians are reluctant to let their graduate children and wards be sent out to some of these terror-ridden regions of the country. The result being that the lofty vision of the Service Corps is fast being eroded. In recent times, breaking news after breaking news have continued to go viral about the spate of kidnappings of Service Corps members on national assignment for ransom. Terrorism has claimed scores of lives of Service Corps members. Thus, insecurity has become the greatest nightmare facing the Scheme. The FG, through the scheme, has resorted to redeploying members to other States considered to be safe.
Other challenges to the vision/objectives of the scheme include: propensity to stifle freedom of expression (recently, some corps members have been denied Discharge Certificates because they bared their minds about issues of national significance which the government was not comfortable with); poverty (many are unable to cope due to poor remuneration); abuse and slave labour, etc.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH
The global vision (and indeed that of the celebrant, Pastor Adeboye) for youth empowerment must now be enlarged if we are to achieve proper leveraging of the youth by creating structured developments to consolidate on the existing gains. The early churches deployed biblical examples to create professionals and industries to develop Europe and America and other zones where the gospel took root early.
PROFESSIONALS IN THE BIBLE
(i) Architecture, Painting, Furniture, Sculpting:
Through the construction of the Ark with Noah in Genesis 6-7, and the deployment of the expertise of Bezaleel in Exodus 35-37, to build the Ark of the Covenant, the professions of architecture, furniture, painting and sculpting were ordained by God.
(ii) Engineers, Builders and Maritime
The people of Shinar in Genesis 11 took bricks and burned them into stone. They turned lime to mortar and transformed them for the development of modern construction of a tower and skyscraper. God stopped them because of the wrong motive. But that was the discovery of cement and limestones. God ordained engineers and builders for King Solomon and King Amaziah, for the construction of giant ships, trawlers and boats for shipping, maritime, trade and commerce. They developed unique weapons and ammunition for warfare.
(iii) Foundation of Law
God Himself created the legal profession with the first law given in Genesis 2:16-17, which was subsequently amplified in the book of Leviticus from where most of the civil and criminal laws took their origin and they were eventually codified in Exodus 20, embracing criminal offences of murder, stealing, assault and civil wrongs such as defamation, trespass, labour and employment laws, etc. It is important to state the point that the first court cases started with God. The first civil violation of the law took place in Genesis Chapter 3, when the man breached the law of God by partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, following which claims were drafted and served on him. He also prepared his defence and a trial was conducted, the defendant was afforded the right to fair hearing and judgment was eventually delivered, without any appeal. Execution of the judgment was levied with immediate eviction of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and Cherubim were placed at the entrance of the garden to enforce it. The judgment is still being executed till date. The judgment pronounced upon Satan was also executed immediately. The first crime was committed in Genesis Chapter 4 when Cain killed his brother Abel. Charges were drafted and served upon him, he defended himself, trial was conducted and judgment was passed on him. He was allowed the exercise of his right of appeal against the judgment through which he made a case of his dissatisfaction with the judgment and his sentence was subsequently reduced and modified. The ultimate trial was that of Jesus Christ, with all its illogicality and barbarism, leading to His crucifixion.
(iv) The Court System
The Court system was created from the holy scriptures, especially from the book of Exodus 18:17-22, where Courts were created in their hierarchical orders. In 2 Chronicles 19:5-11, judges were appointed to settle disputes. The Judicial Oath is taken from this passage and it also applies to lawyers since you have to be a lawyer first before you become a judge in Nigeria.
(v) Lawyers
The Bible is replete with examples of lawyers who were experts in Mosaic Law, such as scribes and Pharisees, responsible for teaching and interpreting the Torah, like Zenas in Titus 3:13 and Tertullus. Dr. Gamaliel and Apostle Paul were shining examples of established lawyers who impacted society positively.
Real Estate and Land Registry
(vi) The modern real estate business can find its root in Jeremiah 32 where the three PPPs as stated in law were complete, that is the Parties, Property and Price and there was a Deed of Assignment duly signed, sealed and delivered. Title to the land was perfected and deposited in the Land Registry for record purposes of verification and due diligence. Possession was delivered to the purchaser thus completing the transaction.
(v) Finance and Accounting, Hospitality
Matthew and Zacheaus were both in the profession of accounting and finance, while Martha created the hospitality department. I have no doubt in my mind that the professional qualifications and experience of the celebrant (Pastor Adeboye), assisted him in no small measure, to transform a church from a dump site into global reckoning with active presence in not less than 192 nations of the world.
Ministries and Missionaries
(vi) By applying the Pareto Principles of 20/80 ratio in Acts of Apostles Chapter 6, the Apostles practically demonstrated the need for a symbiotic distinction between missionary work and secular engagements. There was the need to achieve church growth by attending to the needs of the worshippers (serving tables) whilst at the same time creating sufficient time for the pastorate to be devoted to the work of ministry (prayer and evangelism) thereby empowering professionals within the church to develop as has been done successfully in South Korea and other jurisdictions.
(v) Deploying Spiritual Resources for Youth Global Impact
The Catholic Church runs a Justice and Peace Development Committee (JPDC) manned by seasoned legal practitioners to render pro bono services for its members and the general public who are victims of injustice, oppression or whose rights may have been infringed in one way or the other. The RCCG operates functional rehabilitation homes for drug addicts, the homeless and single mothers. The Redemption City as envisioned by the celebrant (Pastor Adeboye) should further translate into an economic power hub for the teeming youth and the not too young with the creation of specific districts to cater to the growing needs of all worshippers, especially the youth.
Recycling of wastes is ongoing, a medical village has been built, a legal village is in the offing, agriculture is being developed aggressively and concessionaires can be created for the church to leverage on its population and growth to establish entities for the production of water and drinks, restaurants for food during LGAF and other major programmes. There is also a prayer village. A New Professional District Area should be created within the Redemption City to accommodate professionals like Accountants, Architects, Doctors, Surveyors, Engineers, IT experts who can attend to the growing needs of the city dwellers. An industrial hub can also be created for factories and industries while ensuring quality control.
The vast size of the land owned by the RCCG here in Mowe, in Abuja, America, Canada, Australia and other parts of the world may not solely be for church planting, dwelling and residence or else we will keep creating a community of dwellers without capacity and empowerment. With the available infrastructure of electricity, water, security and technology in the Redemption City, regular trips to Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan and other neighbouring cities should be a thing of the past. Given the incidence of poor leadership in Nigeria, the church will continue to serve as the alternative government for and welfare centres of the needy.
The Vision and Mission of the celebrant (Pastor Adeboye) for RCCG members to make heaven, to take as many people as possible, to plant churches and to make holiness the centre-point of attaining them is unassailable. But it has to be developed, rebranded and expanded to include capacity building, empowerment of members (young and old) for the benefit of all. This charge is not unique to religious entities alone but it also extends to other levels of mentoring for the youth in political and educational sectors, leading to a realignment of spiritual goals and secular engagements for the growth of the ministry whilst presenting opportunities for the youth to realize their potentials.
LEVERAGING NIGERIA’S YOUNG POPULATION FOR NATIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:
THE GROWING IMPACT OF YOUTH ON NIGERIA’S POPULATION
A proper understanding of the youth phenomenon is to be prefaced with the population of Nigeria itself as a nation. The history of the population of Nigeria has been enmeshed in controversies, due mainly to allegations of inflation of figures. According to the National Population Commission, the last official Census for Nigeria was in 2006 which was projected to be 140 million, as presented by President Olusegun Obasanjo in March 2006. From data of the National Bureau of Statistics, the projected population figure for Nigeria in 2022 was 216,783,381 comprising 108,350,410 males and 108,432,971 females. Presently, Nigeria’s population is projected to be over 230 million, with estimates placing it around 239.9 million in early January 2026, making it Africa’s most populous country and the world’s sixth-largest, with figures projected to reach over 242 million by 2026, with the youth leading the pack.
THE YOUTH POPULATION
Nigeria has a massive youth population, with estimates suggesting around 70% of its citizens are under 30, translating to over 160 million young people within a total population nearing 230 million (as of mid-2024/early 2025). This makes Nigeria one of the world’s most youthful nations, with a median age of just over 18 years. This is expected to balloon as we advance in years. The statistics and demographics are simply amazing in their dimensions. Data obtainable from the World Bank indicates a youth percentage of about 70% are under 30, while the median age average is 18.1 years and the youngest cohort, the Gen Alpha (under 13) and Gen Z (13-28) combined make up a huge portion, with Gen Alpha alone representing over 35% of the total population in some analyses.
YOUTH AS NATIONAL ASSET
A young population becomes an asset only when the youth are educated, employed or employable, healthy and have a stake in the system of national life. In the absence of these engagements, the young population becomes a demographic liability, fuelling unemployment, crime, and instability. The following are some of the indices that can enable leveraging Nigeria’s young population for national growth and development.
- QUALITY EDUCATION:
Deep investment in quality education remains the most critical key to human capital development of the youth. Insofar as it is what goes into the mind by way of education that shapes the whole person of the youth, it is advocated that through all-inclusive public-private partnership, efforts must be geared up to ensure that the young population receives qualitative education at all levels – right from basic to tertiary levels of education. This may be achieved through the offer of free education and availability of bursaries and government fully-funded scholarships (as was the case in the past), provision of conducive learning environment, standard world-class learning facilities and equipment, provision of qualified teachers in schools and institutions of learning. Definite actions must be taken by the government to quel the incidence of strikes which cause frustrating stoppages to the academic journey of young persons in schools thereby discouraging learning.
There has to be a paradigm shift from mere certificate-driven to skill-driven education. Someone puts the idea as a shift from certificate to sabi-ficate (skill). The main area of skill should focus on digital skills, technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship, how to think critically and innovate rather than spoon-feeding the system of academic theorization without translating to practical problem-solving application. Educational reforms must be directed to aligning university and polytechnic curricula with labour-market needs, including agriculture, renewable energy, fintech, health, and manufacturing.
- PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES:
There has to be a youth-oriented industrialization particularly in the area of agriculture. This is very important. Shift away from subsistence farming to Agribusiness, characterized by mechanized farming and the use of technology should be encouraged. This can be achieved through access to land, provision of low-interest loans and grants, simplified business registration under the CAC and tax incentives for start-ups and SMEs, extension services and market linkages and encouragement of youth-led cooperatives and agro-startups.
- ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION:
Thanks to CFRN (Fourth Alteration) Act, 2018 (a.k.a. Not Too Young to Run). The intent is to promote youth participation and engagement in politics and leadership. The young population is vibrant, innovative, more inclined to progressivism and dynamic change in keeping with global trends. To this effect, full implementation and expansion of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Act in practical reality, not just law, is advocated. Deliberate steps should be taken to integrate the young population in governance, policy formulation, thought-leadership and grassroots leadership. Civil inclusion reduces alienation thereby reducing the incidence of youth unrest, and political violence while fostering accountability.
The unfortunate entrenchment of recycled oligarchic gerontocracy (rule by a few aged) which Africa seems to be cursed with must be jettisoned to pave way for fresh blood in the political space.
- ENHANCEMENT OF YOUTH HEALTH AND WELL-BEING:
A healthy mind and body of the youth is critical to mining the invaluable wealth of youthful potential. This is why there has to be improved access to youth-friendly healthcare, particularly mental health services. All-out war against the use and abuse of mind-destroying substances such as illicit drugs and intoxicants, pornography, terrorist indoctrination, violence and sexual harassment against young persons, etc. which lead to depression and sometimes suicidal tendencies, must be mounted.
- HARNESSING THE DIGITAL ECONOMY:
The youth should be trained to be up to speed with global best practices in the digital space such as software development, data science, cybersecurity, digital marketing and remote work skills. This will set the young population of Nigeria as a global outsourcing and remote-work hub, exporting digital services rather than raw labour. This in turn will boost Nigeria’s GDP thereby enhancing her economic growth.
- VALUE-MODELING AND MENTORSHIP:
Part of the undoing of the youth is bad examples of those they look up to both in the temporal and spiritual spheres of our national life. Leaders have modeled the wrong things for the young population to emulate. The allure of life is materialism, the what’s-in-it-for-me-and-my-family syndrome. The unbridled appetite for and love of money have led to dearth of values.
If the young population must be harnessed, then there must be a paradigm shift and refocus on the values and ethos upon which enduring nationhood is built; values that transcend materialism, quest for immediate gratification, indiscipline, and self-aggrandizement.
UNITED NATIONS POLICY ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
The UN’s policy on youth participation centers on the Youth2030 Strategy, aiming for meaningful engagement, not just consultation, making youth central to achieving SDGs, promoting human rights, and fostering peace, with initiatives like the UN Youth Delegate program and digital platforms enhancing their voice in policy, driven by principles of inclusivity, gender equality, and tackling barriers like digital divides to empower young people as agents of change.
KEY PILLARS OF UN YOUTH POLICY:
Youth2030: The UN Youth Strategy: The overarching framework (now in Phase 2: 2025-2030) focuses on youth empowerment, SDG implementation, knowledge building, and ensuring youth voices are heard across all UN efforts.
Meaningful Engagement: Goes beyond tokenism; it’s about tangible youth influence in policy, supported by principles from the Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on the topic.
Youth as Agents of Change: Recognizes young people as crucial for peace, justice, climate action, and sustainable development, empowering them to drive societal transformation.
KEY MECHANISMS & INITIATIVES:
UN Youth Delegate Program: Young people, selected by their governments, participate directly in UN meetings (like the General Assembly) as part of national delegations.
UN Youth Office: Acts as a convener and conduit, amplifying youth visions and coordinating efforts across the UN system.
Digital Platforms: Using technology to understand youth priorities, inform them, and co-create policies.
Our Common Agenda & Pact for the Future: Calls for greater youth inclusion in global decision-making.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Inclusivity & Equity: Removing social, economic, and cultural barriers, especially for young women and girls, to ensure equal access and participation.
Intergenerational Solidarity: Fostering collaboration and understanding between generations.
Rights-Based Approach: Upholding youth’s fundamental right to participate, as a core human right.
FOCUS AREAS:
Empowerment: Building skills, capacity, and opportunities.
SDG Acceleration: Integrating youth perspectives into achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Peace & Security: Supporting youth as peacebuilders and ensuring their needs in post-conflict reintegration.
In essence, the UN policy views youth not just as beneficiaries but as essential partners, providing platforms and strategies to ensure their diverse perspectives and solutions shape a sustainable future.
MEANINGFUL YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Meaningful youth participation is an intentional process of recognizing, nurturing and valuing young people’s vital contributions as agents of positive change. It involves:
Inclusive partnerships: Engaging youth as equal partners in policymaking and decision-making, spanning every stage of collaboration, from design and planning, to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Intergenerational collaboration: Bringing together diverse stakeholder groups, including youth, in collaborative environments which consider and address power dynamics and other barriers which might otherwise hinder the meaningful participation of youth.
Sustained engagement: Committing to long-term partnerships with young people, ensuring that their involvement extends beyond one-off consultations and is integrated into continuous decision-making and implementation processes.
Accountability and feedback: Establishing mechanisms for youth to hold stakeholders accountable and to receive meaningful feedback on how their contributions are utilized, fostering trust and transparency for long-term partnership.
Meaningful youth participation is inherently context specific. While there is no universal formula, following best practices and achieving minimum standards is critical in order to avoid tokenism and “youth washing.” Youth2030, the UN System’s first overarching strategy on youth, and the UN Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on Meaningful Youth Engagement both provide guiding principles and criteria for making youth participation meaningful.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Young people worldwide have highlighted significant gaps in current systems for youth participation in decision-making, citing challenges like tokenism and limited opportunities for impact. In moving systems from superficial involvement to meaningful participation, they expect:
To be recognized as essential stakeholders in all decisions that affect their lives, not just those labeled as “youth-specific” issues.
To be included and engaged at every stage of decision-making, from ideation to implementation, rather than being included only when outcomes are announced.
To see platforms and networks for youth participation evolve into spaces that are more inclusive, representative, agile and impactful.
To benefit from increasing investments in youth-led solutions and initiatives, recognizing the valuable contributions which young people make at all levels.
Responding to these calls is not only about the meaningful inclusion of young people — it strengthens decision-making overall, builds greater trust in institutions, delivers on global public responsibility, and upholds young people’s rights. It is about smart decisions for our planet, as youth bring innovative, bold and long-term perspectives essential for addressing global challenges and serving the interests of future generations.
With 1.2 billion youth aged 15 to 24 today — and half the world’s population under 30 years old — transformative change is impossible without their active buy-in and contributions. The Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on Meaningful Youth Engagement, published in April 2023, underscores the importance of strengthening intergenerational solidarity and outlines actionable principles to guide this work, in alignment with Youth2030.
NIGERIAN POLICY ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Nigeria’s youth policy, primarily guided by the National Youth Policy (NYP) 2019-2023, aims to foster youth participation and development by enhancing rights, education, health, and economic opportunities for the large youth demographic (ages 15-29) to contribute to national goals, though implementation faces challenges like funding and coordination, requiring stronger youth engagement in policymaking itself for better outcomes.
KEY ASPECTS OF THE POLICY
Broad Goals: Promote fundamental rights, improve quality of life, and boost youth involvement in national development and achieving SDGs.
Target Groups: Acknowledges varying needs, categorizing youth into low-risk, vulnerable, and at-risk groups for targeted interventions.
Focus Areas: Education, health, sports, economic empowerment, civic engagement, and social well-being.
Framework: Provides guidelines for government, stakeholders, and youth themselves.
CHALLENGES AND NEEDS
Inconsistent Implementation: Funding gaps, poor execution, and lack of coordination hinder progress.
Need for Inclusivity: Calls for genuine youth involvement in policy design (e.g., youth on the table) rather than just planning for them.
Tapping Potential: The large youth population (over 60% under 25) represents a demographic dividend needing better policy to unlock.
YOUTH RESPONSIBILITIES (UNDER THE POLICY)
Promote tolerance, respect, and reconciliation.
Protect public property and the environment.
Avoid violence, substance abuse, and crime.
Engage in self-improvement, lifelong learning, and positive lifestyles.
SUPPORTING INITIATIVES
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN): Established to amplify youth voices and provide training.
IOM Youth Strategy (2023-2027): Focuses on empowering youth migrants and aligning with national strategies.
RCCG POLICY ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
The Redeemed Christian Church of God encourages significant youth participation through dedicated initiatives like SHIFT and R.I.S.E., focusing on leadership training, skill acquisition (entrepreneurship), spiritual growth, and integration into church administration, reflecting a policy to empower young people as key drivers for church growth and evangelism, while also maintaining safety through strict safeguarding policies for youth activities.
KEY ASPECTS OF RCCG’S YOUTH POLICY:
Leadership & Empowerment: Developing young leaders for church administration and wider society, with initiatives like R.I.S.E. (Skill Acquisition) and platforms for political/social leadership, says beautifulday.com.ng and vanguardngr.com.
Innovative Ministry: Programs like SHIFT use modern methods (dancing, comedy, music) to engage youth and win souls, notes The Guardian Nigeria News.
Spiritual & Personal Development: Focus on discipleship, Bible studies, missions, and creating a sense of belonging through youth-led activities.
Outreach & Evangelism: Youth are involved in outreach, spreading faith, and community engagement.
Integration: Youth are expected to be part of the church’s overall vision and participate in decision-making, with frameworks evolving to offer more platforms.
Safety & Structure: Policies ensure youth safety through supervision, training for leaders, and clear procedures for handling concerns, as detailed in WINNERS PLACE and RCCG Loughborough.
In essence, the RCCG views youth as vital for its future, actively investing in their spiritual, personal, and leadership development through structured programs and a strong emphasis on safety and inclusion.
THE CONCEPT OF THE 7Cs
Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, Contribution, Coping, and Control are critical elements that shape our approach. We strive to create an environment that fosters growth, empowerment, and authentic life skills so youth in our program build the resilience they need to thrive.
THE CRITICAL PLACE AND ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN LEVERAGING THE YOUNG POPULATION:
Until the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Church Militant (Church on Earth) Pillar and Ground of Truth remains the champion of the Great Commission. Part of the neglected mandate of the Church is in the area of discipling the whole youth inside-out. While the world system may endeavour to educate the mind of the young population, only the Church has been given the spiritual paraphernalia to educate the spirit man of the youth. We must not take for granted the fact that Satan, the arch enemy of mankind whose stock-in-trade is to steal, kill and destroy is always on top of his game in destroying the youth of any nation to ensure they lead purposeless lives through sinful practices: social vices, addiction to soul-destructive habits and lifestyles such as illicit drugs, illicit sex and pornography, cultism, violent crimes, abortion, etc.
If our Nation’s young population must be leveraged for purposes of National Growth and Development, then keen focus must be directed at gospelizing and discipling the youths God brings within our ministerial influence using the principles of the Kingdom to equip them to function effectively.
THE LIMITS OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Every idea has two dangers of either being extinguished or contained. What is being advocated is youth participation, not youth take over. The world is at the threshold of transition to integrate the youth into mainstream leadership which should not be translated as licence to weaken or displace the existing authority of the fathers but rather to create a symbiotic re-alignment. In 1 Samuel 3:5, young Samuel was actively trimming the lamp to keep the altar aflame and despite his direct interaction with God, he reported all his encounter accurately to old prophet Eli by way of accountability and respect for existing authority without any embellishment or fabrication, this notwithstanding the indictment of Eli by God Himself. The youth will be driven with the flame of their vision but they need the fathers to deploy their dreams to interprete the vision. The President of the United States of America is by all definitions not a youth but he has surrounded himself with competent young minds to drive the vision of a new America. When he was appointed as the General Overseer of RCCG in 1981 in his tender age, Pastor E.A. Adeboye appointed old Pastor Abiona as his Deputy General Overseer and retained him in that position until he was called to glory. The fathers represent custodians of sound doctrine, they are mentors, leaders, pioneers and shining examples who have weathered the storms faithfully and have remained steadfast to their calling. Thus, in Job 24:2, a note of caution was sounded that “some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof”, whereas Proverbs 22:28: says clearly that: “remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” King Solomon in all his wisdom still sounded the note of warning in Proverbs 23:10: “remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.” Youth participation connotes conscious acceptance of responsibility, not entitlement. A system of checks and balances must be maintained to offer measured control and supervision, in order to sustain the unbroken chain of command.
CONCLUSION
Twenty-five percent of the world population of 1.7 billion is youth. Of this 1.7 billion, 86% live in the developing world. The increase in youth population ages 15-24 has taken place in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Youth are the future and their well-being is critically important to shaping a better future for the world. It is estimated that by 2030, Nigeria’s youth population will peak at about 100 million, with around 70% of the entire population under 30, creating significant opportunities but also demanding massive job creation to avoid instability. RCCG has a significant youth presence, with estimates suggesting young people make up over 60% of its global membership. This constitutes both positive and negative forces, which when properly harnessed will result in national growth and development but if neglected and forsaken, may become ready tools for perpetrators of violence and division. The celebrant (Pastor Adeboye) has accomplished significant leaps in leveraging the population of the youth for their spiritual empowerment but this must be taken to the next level.
Virtually all secular artists in Nigeria today were once church choir members until they left the church to seek greener pastures and got absorbed by the waiting world. We must not continue in the error of feeding the youth with spiritual food only but also galvanize them into self-sufficiency by creating lasting opportunities for realizing their potentials.
The celebrant has been very instrumental in providing the enabling environment to advance the cause and agenda of youth empowerment. He has accomplished significant leaps in leveraging the population of the youth for their spiritual and secular empowerment but it has to be taken to the next level of developing their spiritual energy into profitable ventures that will help in realizing the vision of the church for growth. The positive impact created by the celebrant (Pastor Adeboye) upon the youth cannot be exhausted in any single lecture, as he has by his commitment to and sacrifices for the youth, ignited a positive zeal in their hearts for a glorious future. The challenge is to rebrand and sustain it to galvanize growth and development.
I thank you for giving me this unique opportunity to address you all.
