PREFACE

For over a decade now, statesmen, distinguished scholars, patriots and eminent legal practitioners have converged to brainstorm on key issues of national interest at the annual Pastor E.A. Adeboye Public Lecture, meant to drive positive policies for national growth and development. Permit me to share with you part of my text at the 2026 edition, given the nature of the theme and the issues canvassed therein.

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 the celebrant and his visions 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 a 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 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 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.

Divestments: Environmentalists allege abandonment Niger Delta pollution

Environmental advocacy and civil society groups have renewed calls for accountability and environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

They lamented that decades of oil and gas exploration have left the region devastated while multinational oil companies move to divest from onshore operations without adequately addressing pollution and environmental damage.

These concerns were raised in a statement by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) ahead of the 5th edition of the Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence (NDAC),

The statement by Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes at HOMEF indicates that the event is scheduled to hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom on May 14.

NDAC is organised by HOMEF in collaboration with its partners.

According to the organisation, nearly 70 years of oil exploration in the Niger Delta have resulted in widespread environmental degradation, including polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands, and contaminated drinking water.

The adverse impacts include dying mangroves and abandoned oil infrastructure, leaving many communities struggling for survival despite the region’s enormous contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

The group noted that Nigeria recorded at least 589 oil spills in 2024 alone, with approximately 19,000 barrels of crude reportedly released into the environment, further worsening ecological and health conditions across oil-producing communities.

Brown, said communities in the Niger Delta have continued to bear the brunt of environmental pollution, with many residents lacking access to clean water and healthcare while depending on contaminated rivers and streams for daily use.

She said studies have linked oil spills in the region to respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, infertility, birth defects, higher infant mortality and increased neonatal deaths among babies born near polluted sites.

Brown lamented that calls for oil companies to halt harmful extraction practices, decommission ageing facilities and pay compensation to affected communities had largely been ignored over the years.

She recalled that the 2024 Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence, the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, King Bubaraye Dakolo, described the Niger Delta as “one of the most polluted places in the universe,” saying decades of oil extraction had altered the social and economic fabric of communities and made livelihoods increasingly difficult.

Environmental groups also cited recent oil spill incidents linked to ageing infrastructure.

In May 2025, a major spill reportedly occurred along the Trans Niger Pipeline in B-Dere community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, marking the second major leak on the facility within two months after an earlier incident in March 2025.

HOMEF and its partners said the incidents underscored the dangers posed by obsolete oil facilities and stressed the need for proper decommissioning rather than expansion of fossil fuel operations.

The organisation further highlighted the plight of Ogoniland, where abandoned oil infrastructure and repeated spills have continued to contaminate farmlands and water sources.

It referenced incidents In Kpean in August 2025 and Eteo-Eleme in June 2023, which reportedly displaced residents and destroyed livelihoods.

HOMEF insisted that any plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoni communities should be suspended until full environmental remediation and restoration are carried out.

The group called on both national and international oil companies to safely decommission ageing facilities, clean polluted sites, restore degraded ecosystems and compensate affected communities for economic losses suffered over decades of extraction activities.

It added that the NDAC platform was established to promote collective action and people-centred alternatives for socio-ecological justice in the Niger Delta.

HOMEF recalled that since NDAC’s inception in 2022, the convergence has brought together activists, traditional rulers, women and youth groups, religious leaders, scholars and civil society organisations to discuss sustainable development pathways for the region.

The 2026 edition of the convergence will also spotlight communities in Ogoni, Nigeria, and Yasuni, Ecuador, which organisers say have successfully resisted fossil fuel exploitation for decades.

Organisers said the event would be streamed live on the official YouTube page of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation