IYD 2026: Delta Youths Want Gov. Oborevwori To Institutionalise Youth Development

The Delta State Council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has called on the Executive Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to institutionalise youth development in the State through a comprehensive youth policy, leadership academy, digital economic opportunities and stronger youth participation in governance.

The State Chairman of the Council, Amb. Comr. Sagboje Odiri Milton, CLN, made the call in his goodwill message to Delta youths to mark the 2026 International Youth Day, celebrated globally on August 12 with the theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”

Comr. Sagboje said the theme was particularly relevant to Delta youths, noting that although young people across Delta North, Delta Central and Delta South live in different circumstances and face different challenges, they remain united by common aspirations for dignity, opportunity, meaningful participation, quality education and a better future.

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He described Delta’s youth population as one of the State’s greatest assets, saying young Deltans have continued to distinguish themselves in business, technology, agriculture, academia, sports, entertainment, the creative industry, professional practice, public service and community development.

“Our greatest resource is therefore not only the abundant resources beneath our soil, the rivers that traverse our maritime space or the infrastructure we are building; our greatest and most enduring resource is the human capital represented by our young people,” he said.

According to him, deliberate investment in human capital, skills and enterprise would enable Delta youths to create jobs, build businesses, deepen democratic participation and produce a new generation of capable leaders.

The NYCN chairman also congratulated the newly appointed Commissioner for Youth Development and Special Duties, Hon. Brave Enodeh, Esq., assuring him of the support and cooperation of the organised youth constituency.

Sagboje said the appointment came at a critical period when expectations among young people were high, expressing confidence that the new leadership of the Ministry would usher in a new phase of purposeful engagement, innovative policy and measurable results in youth development.

He said the NYCN, as the umbrella body of the organised youth constituency in the State, is ready to work with the Commissioner, provide constructive feedback from the grassroots and support initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for young people.

The youth leader also commended Governor Oborevwori for what he described as the administration’s “deliberate and massive infrastructural development” across the State, noting that roads, bridges and other public infrastructure were critical investments in connectivity, economic opportunity and the future prosperity of Delta.

He, however, said the Governor’s decision to give young people a seat at the table of decision-making deserved particular commendation. “For us, this is more than a mere political representation; it is a statement of confidence in our generation. It is an acknowledgement that young people should not merely be mobilised to vote, applaud or participate at the end of the political process, but should be part of the conversation, the decision-making and the governance of the State,” he said.

Sagboje expressed appreciation to the Governor for recognising youths as partners in development, but, invoking the proverbial Oliver Twist, appealed to him to do more for young people in line with his administration’s M.O.R.E. Agenda.

He said the appeal was not borne out of ingratitude but from the conviction that the development of Delta State could not be complete without deliberate investment in the generation that would ultimately inherit the State.

“Your Excellency, if the roads we build today will carry the vehicles of tomorrow, then the young people we empower today will carry the leadership and economy of tomorrow. If we are building infrastructure for generations yet unborn, then we must equally build the human beings who will maintain, expand and give meaning to those infrastructures.

“Brick and mortar will build the structure of a State, but human capital will determine its destiny,” he said.

Consequently, the NYCN chairman placed before the Governor a seven-point youth-development agenda for consideration.
The Council called for the formulation and legislative backing of a comprehensive Delta State Youth Policy, covering education, employment, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, leadership, sports, creative industries, health, civic participation, peacebuilding and social inclusion.

It also sought the establishment of a Delta State Youth Leadership Development Institute which Sagboje described as a “leadership factory” where young Deltans could be identified, trained, mentored and prepared for leadership in government, business, academia, civil society and community development.

The Council further appealed for the return of Youth Development Centres to the Ministry of Youth Development, arguing that the centres should be transformed into functional hubs for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, leadership development and economic empowerment.

It also called for deliberate investment in digital skills development and income-generating skills, stressing that young people must be prepared for an economy increasingly driven by technology, artificial intelligence, digital enterprise, remote work and innovation.

“Delta must not merely produce young people who are searching for traditional jobs; we must produce young people who can create jobs, work for global markets from their homes, build digital enterprises and compete confidently in the global economy,” Sagboje said.

The Council also appealed for the establishment of a Delta Youth House and Resource Development Centre as a permanent institutional space for youth leadership, innovation, mentorship, policy dialogue, entrepreneurship and constructive engagement with government.

It further requested the institutionalisation of quarterly mentorship and interactive engagements between the Governor and young people across the 25 Local Government Areas, noting that direct engagement would strengthen trust and enable government to better understand the realities confronting young people at the grassroots.

Another major demand was the inauguration of the Delta State Youth Parliament, which the Council said would provide young people with practical exposure to democratic processes, legislative engagement, public policy, debate and responsible representation.

Comr. Sagboje stressed that the demands were not intended as a confrontation with government but represented the aspirations of a generation that believed in the possibility of a greater Delta. “We are not asking the government to carry us; we are asking the government to create the conditions in which we can stand, work and build. We are not asking for the future to be handed to us; we are asking for the opportunity to prepare ourselves to inherit it responsibly,” he said.

While seeking greater commitment from government, the NYCN chairman also challenged Delta youths to accept their responsibilities, urging them to reject cultism, drug abuse, violence, criminality and political thuggery. He called on young people to embrace education, entrepreneurship, innovation, peace, service and patriotism, stressing that their demands for opportunities must be matched by discipline and a willingness to work.

He said young people should not allow unemployment, poverty or temporary hardship to define their future, urging them to acquire skills, build enterprises, embrace technology and contribute positively to their communities.

He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to the unity, peace, progress and development of Delta State, assuring that the Council would continue to support genuine government policies while constructively advocating for programmes and reforms that would improve the lives of young people.

He said the Council would remain a responsible partner to the government, adding that the youth constituency would celebrate government achievements, offer partnership where required and respectfully demand more where more could be done.

He urged Delta youths to transform their numerical strength into unity, their talents into enterprise and their common aspirations into a shared destiny.

“Let us build a Delta State where a young person’s background does not determine the height of his or her dreams; where talent is recognised, skills are rewarded, innovation is supported, hard work is respected and every young person has a fair chance to dream, to work, to prosper and to lead,” he said.

He said the message of International Youth Day 2026 should inspire young people to recognise that although our contexts may differ, our aspirations and destiny remain interconnected.

“Different contexts may define our experiences, but common aspirations must unite our actions. Our future belongs to all of us, and we must stand united to work, dream and build a better and more advanced Delta State,” he said.

The NYCN chairman wished Delta youths a purposeful International Youth Day and called on government, the private sector, civil society, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to intensify investment in young people, stressing that the future prosperity of Delta State depended largely on how effectively its human capital was developed today.

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