By Chidi Ugwu
The Future Pathways Development Initiative FPDI designed to Celebrate International Youth Day with the 2025 Policy Conference for Youth has recorded hundreds of policy submissions from across federal, states, and private tertiary institutions, the organizers have disclosed.
The programme being organized as part of activities to celebrate International Youth Day 2025 on August 12, is bringing together over 800 young changemakers, civic leaders, and institutional stakeholders in Abuja to highlight the vital role of youth in shaping Nigeria’s governance and policy landscape.
Under the theme, “Rethinking National Unity: Governance Reforms for Strengthening Social Cohesion in Nigeria,” the conference marks the culmination of a nationwide policy challenge that attracted more than 800 participants and hundreds of policy proposals from undergraduate students across federal, state, and private tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The event serves as a bold call for more inclusive decision-making, deeper civic involvement, and candid discussions about Nigeria’s and Africa’s future.
“This is not a panel for optics or slogans,” emphasized Arinola Addo Daniel, Executive Director of FPDI. “We’re creating a platform for genuine dialogue, tough questions, and visionary ideas from young Nigerians ready to move beyond being sidelined and to actively contribute to nation-building.”
The conference will feature panel discussions on policy, leadership, and accountability; presentations from the top three winners of the policy challenge; the launch of policy hubs across Nigerian campuses; highlights of grassroots and institutional reforms; and opportunities for networking, mentorship, and collaboration.
Set to take place at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, One Memorial Drive, Central Business District, Abuja, the event starts promptly at 4:00 PM. It will be covered by major national television networks.
Notable government officials, civil society leaders, media representatives, policy experts, and youth network figures from Nigeria and across Africa will attend. Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, FPDI Founder, remarked, “Governance reforms are not just about restructuring institutions. They involve reimagining the social contract between citizens and the state—and young people must be central to this transformation.”
The Future Pathways Development Initiative is a pan-African organization dedicated to enhancing governance outcomes by empowering citizen engagement, especially among youth. This conference represents one of FPDI’s key initiatives to enable young Africans to lead meaningful reforms in practice, not just in theory..
“This is not a panel for optics or a day for slogans,” said Arinola Addo Daniel, Executive Director of FPDI. “We are creating space for real dialogue, hard questions, and visionary ideas from young Nigerians who are tired of being sidelined and are ready to build.”
“The event will feature panel sessions on policy, leadership, and accountability, policy presentations from the top three contestants from the policy challenge, launch of the policy Hubs across campuses in Nigeria and the major work being done at the grassroots and institutional levels, and opportunities for networking, mentorship, and collaboration.
“The PCY Conference will be reported on major television stations across the country and is scheduled to hold at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, One Memorial Drive, Central Business District, Abuja, on August 12, starting from 4:00 pm prompt.
“Invited speakers and guests include notable figures from government, civil society, media, policy institutions, and youth networks across Nigeria and Africa. “Governance reforms are not merely about restructuring institutions, but about reimagining the social contract between citizens and the state, and young people must be integral to this reimagining process.”- Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, Founder FPDI.
“Future Pathways Development Initiative (FPDI) is a pan-African organisation working to strengthen governance outcomes by amplifying citizen engagement, particularly among young people. This convening is one of several efforts by FPDI to create avenues for young Africans to lead reform, not in theory, but in practice” reads the statement in part..
