By SALISU SANI-IDRIS

The Federal Government will partner with the Lagos State Government to groom young leaders through structured programmes that drive exposure.

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, made this known on Friday in Abuja during a briefing on the first Abuja Dialogue schedule for April 13.

Hadejia explained that the dialogue was aimed at placing youth leadership at the centre of national discourse.

He said that the theme for the dialogue, “Scaling Excellence: Youth Leadership as Strategic Infrastructure for National Transformation,” was a precursor to the Lagos Leadership Summit.

Hadejia noted that the dialogue’s emphasis was on young Nigerians not as a matter of rhetoric or aspiration, but as a strategic priority.

“Central element of this initiative is the recognition that youth leadership and development must move beyond the language of inclusion and toward a more structured understanding of responsibility.

“While inclusion provides access, responsibility requires preparation.

“It is this preparation that ultimately determines whether young people are able to contribute meaningfully within systems that demand competence, discipline, and accountability.”

He said that the dialogue would focus on identifying the mechanisms through which this preparation could be achieved.

“This includes the role of structured training, institutional exposure, mentorship, and performance evaluation in building leadership capacity over time.”

Hadejia said that the Office of the Vice-President recognised that building youth leadership cannot be achieved through isolated efforts.

“It requires deliberate collaboration with institutions that are committed to leadership development at different levels.

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to grooming young leaders through structured programmes that drive leadership exposure.

“(This will ensure) that change-driven individuals are equipped not only with knowledge, but with the capacity to apply that knowledge within real-world contexts,” he noted.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA), Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, explained that the academy was established to mainstream human capital development and empower Nigerian youths.

Agbaje-Okunade said the Abuja dialogue would attract key stakeholders to brainstorm on how to scale youth initiatives “from being palliative to being systematic.”

Agbaje-Okunade also said that the academy was created and endorsed by the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

She, however, said that its founding vision for youth development has expanded and “is now set to spread across the nation.”

She said the dialogue would focus on attracting relevant stakeholders and authorities to create a system that enables young people to pivot through the provision of an enabling environment.

She expressed optimism that the outcome of the dialogue would help institutionalise youth development initiatives in Nigeria.

Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos State on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, said the governor is renowned for prioritising youth empowerment.

He said that the nation must begin to see youth development and innovation as a national priority, which requires sustained media coverage and spotlighting. (NAN)