Youth Ministry, NTYTP Form Joint Committee to Implement National Security Summit for Young Women
The Honourable Minister for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has commended the Not Too Young To Perform (NTYTP) Leadership Development Advocacy for its proactive efforts to tackle rising insecurity and threats faced by young Nigerians.
In a decisive step, the Minister announced the immediate formation of a joint committee between the Ministry and NTYTP to implement a proposed national youth safety initiative.
The Minister gave the commendation when he received a delegation from the organisation, led by its President and National Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, during a courtesy visit at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on Monday.
The NTYTP delegation, which included National Secretary, Arc Bello Muhammed, and National Women Coordinator, Barrister Fatima Alkali, presented a comprehensive proposal for the hosting of the Annual National Youth Safety and Security Summit, themed “Empowering Youth for a Safer Nation: Promoting Security Awareness and Protection for the Girl-Child and Young Women.”
Speaking during the presentation, Comrade Ezema described the initiative as a timely and urgent intervention to address the alarming rise in abductions, gender-based violence, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation targeting young Nigerians, particularly the girl-child and young women.
He emphasized that many spaces that should serve as centres of learning, including campuses and public institutions, have become unsafe. “We cannot afford to remain passive observers. It is our collective responsibility to act, and to act decisively,” Ezema stated.
He outlined the summit’s comprehensive three-phase programme, which will begin with a national inaugural event in Abuja, followed by state-level campaigns across all 36 states and the FCT, and will also feature a campus outreach programme covering no fewer than 185 tertiary institutions nationwide within three years.
Ezema further disclosed that the initiative would produce a key knowledge resource — The NTYTP Safety and Security Handbook for the Girl-Child and Young Women — to be developed through inter-agency collaboration and widely distributed to schools and community platforms.
Introducing the organisation, Ezema explained that NTYTP is a youth-focused, non-governmental, and non-partisan movement dedicated to preparing young Nigerians for transformational leadership.
He noted its core mandate is to “empower and equip young Nigerians for leadership by promoting youth inclusion in governance and corporate structures, fostering excellence and accountability, and advancing community-driven development.”
He also highlighted NTYTP’s strategic 5-Year Plan (2025–2030), which places youth safety, leadership training, and entrepreneurship at the centre of Nigeria’s development agenda.
In his response, Minister Olawande praised NTYTP for its vision and commitment, assuring the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate fully.
He affirmed that the proposal aligns with the Ministry’s broader youth development agenda and its efforts to ensure synergy with existing government programmes on youth and security.
The courtesy visit concluded on a note of optimism, with both parties expressing a firm commitment to work together in safeguarding the lives and future of young Nigerians, while also strengthening the culture of preventive education and inclusive development across the nation.
