By Muhammad Amaan
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has urged governments in Nigeria and other stakeholders to increase investment in young people to enable the country to accelerate sustainable development.
The Head of UNFPA Lagos Liaison Office, Ms Abigail Msemburi, made the call on Saturday in Lagos during the 2026 International Youth Day commemoration and the Fourth SMILE Youth Leadership Summit.
The event, organised by the Strategy for Mentoring Initiative and Leadership Empowerment (SMILE), in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre, had the theme: “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
Ms Msemburi said that Nigeria’s greatest asset was not its natural resources but its youthful population.
She added that investments in education, healthcare, innovation, entrepreneurship, digital inclusion and decent jobs would be critical to unlocking the country’s development potential.
According to her, young people across the world share common aspirations for dignity, opportunities, quality education, decent work and a healthy future.
She said that young people should not be viewed as mere beneficiaries of development programmes but also as partners and leaders in driving sustainable development.
“We advocate that young people should be involved, from the beginning, in designing policies and programmes that affect them rather than being consulted as an afterthought,” she said.
Msemburi identified inadequate youth participation in policymaking as a major challenge facing Nigeria, and urged governments to co-create policies with young people and involve them in evaluating national progress.
She said that United Nations agencies had continued to provide platforms amplifying young people’s voices and encouraging innovative solutions to societal challenges.
According to her, United Nations also integrates youth priorities into its planning and cooperation framework with the Federal Government.
She urged participants at the summit to be committed to continuous learning and purposeful leadership, saying that leadership was defined by courage, integrity and service rather than age.
Ms Msemburi also encouraged governments, development partners, civil societies organisations, academic institutions and the private sector to regard investment in young people as one of the smartest investments any nation could make.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to supporting young people and promoting their meaningful participation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
