The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, is set to convene the first ever Abuja Dialogue aimed at placing youth leadership at the centre of national discourse.

The Dialogue, scheduled to hold on Monday, April 13, 2026 in Abuja, under the theme, “Scaling Excellence: Youth Leadership as Strategic Infrastructure for National Transformation,” is a precursor to the Lagos Leadership Summit.

The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference to announce arrangement for the event, noted that the Dialogue's emphasis is on young Nigerians not as a matter of rhetoric or aspiration, but as a strategic priority

Senator Hadejia said the Office of the Vice President recognises that while building youth leadership at scale cannot be achieved through isolated efforts, it requires deliberate collaboration with institutions that are committed to leadership development at different levels.

The Executive Secretary of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, LJLA, Ayisat Agbaje-Okunade, thanked the Office of the Vice President and the Lagos State Government, describing them as like-minded institutions engaged in ongoing discussions that would chart a new course for the youth population.

She explained that while the LJLA was established to mainstream human capital development and empower Nigerian youths, the Abuja Dialogue will attract key stakeholders to brainstorm on how to scale youth initiatives “from being palliative to being systematic.”

Agbaje-Okunade added that although the Academy was created and endorsed by the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, its founding vision for youth development has expanded and is now set to spread across the nation.

The Special Adviser to Governor of Lagos State on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, stressed that the governor, like his principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is renowned for prioritizing youth empowerment.

He disclosed that the dialogue has received strong endorsement from the Lagos State governor and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He added that the nation must begin to see youth development and innovation as a national priority, one that requires sustained media coverage and spotlighting.