FG urged to establish youth advisory body for NELFUND

Youth organisations in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to institutionalise youth representation and accountability mechanisms within its youth-focused programmes. The organisations – LEAP Africa, Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative, NAF Foundation for Young Women, Nigeria Youth Futures Fund and S4Television – made the call in a joint statement released to mark this […]

Youth organisations in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to institutionalise youth representation and accountability mechanisms within its youth-focused programmes.

The organisations – LEAP Africa, Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative, NAF Foundation for Young Women, Nigeria Youth Futures Fund and S4Television – made the call in a joint statement released to mark this year’s National Youth Day over the weekend.

The groups commended the Federal Government’s growing efforts to support youth empowerment through programmes such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), and Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), adding that these initiatives represent steps toward addressing the challenges of unemployment, educational access, and digital skills development.

“NELFUND, in particular, has the potential to widen educational opportunities for young Nigerians from low-income families,” they said.

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However, they noted that for these interventions to achieve their intended impact, they must be co-created with youth.

“We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to institutionalise youth representation and accountability mechanisms within these programmes — including a Youth Advisory Body for NELFUND — to ensure transparency, responsiveness, and equitable access,” they said.

The youth groups also called for renewed commitment to open and participatory governance, adding that, “Young people must not only be beneficiaries of policies but also active co-drivers of national progress”.

“To strengthen this commitment, we urge full implementation and periodic review of the National Youth Policy, backed by funding, transparency, and youth-led monitoring, institutionalisation of open governance frameworks — including participatory budgeting, youth advisory councils, and digital accountability platforms at all levels of government and increased investment in youth innovation, digital skills, and community development, enabling local youth actions to directly advance the SDGs.”