The minister of information and national irientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged Nigerian youths to seize the opportunities created by the ongoing national reforms, describing them as critical pathways for personal growth and nation-building.

The minister stated this on Saturday while delivering the 2026 convocation lecture at the 34th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger.

The lecture was titled ‘Youth and Nation Building: Navigating Opportunities in an Era of National Reforms’.

Speaking to the graduating students, Mr Idris described Nigeria as a youthful nation with immense potential.

Mr Idris stated that the country’s future depended mainly on how its young population was educated, skilled and engaged.

He said, “Nigeria, like the rest of Africa, happens to be a very youthful country, with half of our population under the age of 20, and three-quarters under the age of 35.

“With the right education, skilling, and preparation for the rapidly transforming workspaces of the 21st century, Nigeria will be an unstoppable global force.”

The minister explained that the reforms introduced under the President Bola Tinubu’s administration were deliberate and necessary steps to reset Nigeria’s economic and governance systems.

Mr Idris further stressed that nation-building cannot happen without reform.

He added, “There is no nation-building without reforms.

“Reforms protect us from the trap of doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results.”

He highlighted key reforms such as the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange unification and the new tax laws.

The minister said the reforms were not aimed at burdening the citizens but to create a fairer, more transparent system that unlocks resources for development and investment.

Mr Idris said, “The goal was never to take more from Nigerians, but to simplify taxation and make it fairer and more transparent.”

The minister disclosed that the reforms were already attracting renewed investor confidence and creating opportunities across sectors.

According to him, these included technology, agriculture, renewable energy and the creative economy, with young Nigerians better positioned as the primary beneficiaries.

Mr Idris also pointed to government-backed programmes such as the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which had supported hundreds of thousands of students, as evidence that the Renewed Hope Agenda is yielding real and measurable impact.

Mr Idris continued,”Through NELFUND, we have incontrovertible proof that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real, functional, impactful, and transformational.”

In his closing remarks, the minister encouraged the graduates to see themselves as builders of the nation.

Mr Idris also urged them to engage actively with opportunities, develop their skills, embrace lifelong learning and consider public service as a platform for national contribution.

He averred, “You can build from where you are, with what you have.

“You do not need to wait until you have amassed wealth or influence before contributing to nation-building. Start now.”

The minister congratulated the graduating students and thanked the management of the university for the invitation to deliver the convocation lecture.

Those in attendance at the epochal event were Gov Umaru Bago of Niger, who was represented by the commissioner of information, Obet Nana and the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Abdallah Adamu Kuta.

Others were the former V-C FUT Minna, Muftau Akanji, Sen. Peter Nda-Alkali, representing Niger South Senatorial Zone; the director-general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace and the former minister of sports, Sani Ndanusa, among other dignitaries.

(NAN)