The Honourable Minister for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has commended the Not Too Young To Perform (NTYTP) Leadership Development Advocacy for its proactive initiative to address the growing insecurity and threats faced by young Nigerians, particularly the girl-child and young women.
The commendation came during a courtesy visit by an NTYTP delegation led by its President and National Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, to the Minister at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, on Monday. The delegation also included the National Secretary, Arc Bello Muhammed, the National Women Coordinator, Barrister Fatima Alkali, and other members of the national leadership.
During the visit, the NTYTP team presented a comprehensive proposal for the hosting of the Annual National Youth Safety and Security Summit, themed “Empowering Youth for a Safer Nation: Promoting Security Awareness and Protection for the Girl-Child and Young Women.”
Speaking on the proposal, Comrade Ezema described the initiative as a timely and urgent response to the alarming rise in abductions, gender-based violence, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation targeting young Nigerians. He warned that some campuses and public institutions, which should serve as centres of learning and empowerment, are increasingly becoming unsafe for young people, particularly women.
“We cannot afford to remain passive observers. It is our collective responsibility to act, and to act decisively,” Ezema declared. He outlined the summit’s three-phase programme, beginning with a national inaugural event in Abuja, followed by state-level campaigns across all 36 states and the FCT, and concluding with campus outreach covering no fewer than 185 tertiary institutions nationwide within three years.
Ezema also disclosed that the initiative would produce the NTYTP Safety and Security Handbook for the Girl-Child and Young Women, to be developed through inter-agency collaboration and expert contributions, and distributed widely across schools, youth groups, and communities. He appealed for the Ministry’s formal endorsement, active participation, and technical support to ensure the success of the programme, stressing that it aligns with the government’s broader youth development agenda.
Introducing the organisation, Ezema explained that NTYTP is a non-governmental, non-partisan youth movement dedicated to preparing young Nigerians for transformational leadership.
He noted that its core mandate is to “empower and equip young Nigerians for leadership by promoting youth inclusion in governance and corporate structures, fostering excellence and accountability, and advancing community-driven development.” He further highlighted NTYTP’s upcoming 5-Year Strategic Plan (2025–2030), which prioritises youth safety, leadership training, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and diaspora engagement.
Responding, Minister Olawande praised NTYTP’s foresight and commitment, particularly for prioritising the safety and empowerment of the girl-child and young women. He assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate, noting that the initiative strongly complements existing government programmes on youth and security.
In a decisive move, the Minister announced the establishment of a joint implementation committee between the Ministry and NTYTP to begin immediate work on the proposal. He emphasised that the partnership would strengthen preventive education, promote inclusivity, and safeguard the future of young Nigerians.
The meeting ended on a positive note, with both the Ministry and NTYTP reaffirming their commitment to work together in creating safer spaces for young Nigerians and in building a generation equipped for leadership and national development.