By Aminu Adamu
The National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Comrade Balarabe Rufai, has congratulated Comrade Babangida Isah on his election as the new President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), but with a sharp message: “Hold the Tinubu government accountable for how it spends Nigeria’s youth funds.”
In a statement released in Abuja on Friday, Rufai lauded the emergence of Isah as “a victory for grassroots youth activism and a call to duty at a time when Nigeria’s youth population is both its greatest asset and most neglected constituency.”
But Rufai’s message went far beyond ceremony. He challenged the new NYCN president to immediately confront the government over what he described as chronic underutilization and mismanagement of the federal budget for youth development, a problem that has persisted across successive administrations.
Billions Budgeted, Little Impact
Citing multiple public analyses, Rufai highlighted that while youth empowerment is a recurring promise in Nigeria’s national budgets, actual implementation remains alarmingly poor.
A 2024 review by the Policy and Legislative Advocacy Centre (PLAC) showed that over ₦80.5 billion was budgeted for youth empowerment programmes spread across 33 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Yet, little of that allocation, he said, translated into real projects or job opportunities for young Nigerians.
Similarly, a Yiaga Africa analysis of the 2024 budget found that the Federal Ministry of Youth was allocated ₦2.22 billion for 45 projects. However, only 10 of those projects less than a quarter were strictly youth-focused, while the majority were classified as “youth-neutral” or administrative overheads.
“This is why our youth remain jobless, restless, and hopeless,” Rufai said. “The numbers look good on paper, but in reality, the budget is largely symbolic. The funds rarely reach communities where they are needed.”
He added that in the 2025 federal budget, the sports sector allocation has ballooned to ₦113 billion, a 243 percent increase from the previous year, while youth development lines have dropped to a paltry ₦428 million. “This imbalance tells you everything about our national priorities—stadiums over skills, events over empowerment,” he said pointedly.
“We Will Support Him, If He Holds the Government Accountable”
Rufai noted that the ADC youth wing, which he described as “the largest organized youth structure outside of government patronage”, is prepared to collaborate with the new NYCN leadership but only if it commits to transparency and advocacy.
“The ADC youth movement will stand firmly with Comrade Babangida Isah if he chooses the path of truth and accountability,” Rufai said.
“But we will not join in celebrating budgets that never reach the streets. The new NYCN President must question the federal ministries, demand breakdowns, track project releases, and report to the Nigerian people.”
He also urged Isah to establish a National Youth Accountability Roundtable, bringing together civil society, youth groups, and policy experts to independently monitor youth projects and budget performance at both federal and state levels.
“Any youth council that cannot question government waste is complicit in the unemployment crisis,” Rufai warned.
A Call to the Tinubu Administration
In a direct message to President Bola Tinubu, Rufai said the federal government must demonstrate that youth empowerment is not mere rhetoric.
“The Nigerian youth population is over 60 percent of the country, yet they remain on the margins of public policy. Allocations without execution are as good as neglect. The ₦25 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund proposed last year must be released transparently and tracked to ensure it reaches genuine entrepreneurs and innovators,” he said.
He criticized what he called the “political tokenism” that dominates youth policy, where most government interventions are either concentrated in urban centres or captured by politically connected organizations, leaving rural and marginalized youth excluded.
“Development must not end in Abuja press briefings. We need real funding for skills, startups, digital inclusion, and local innovation. The Nigerian youth cannot survive on promises and paperwork,” Rufai added.
A Vision for Youth Accountability
As part of his recommendations, Rufai called for the establishment of a Youth Budget Scorecard to be published annually, tracking how much was budgeted, released, and actually spent on youth programmes.
He also advocated for a Youth Budget Statement to be included in every national appropriation bill, detailing expected outcomes, beneficiaries, and project impacts.
“These are not radical ideas,” he said. “They are practical mechanisms for fiscal justice. Every kobo meant for youth empowerment must be traceable from Abuja to the smallest local government. Only then can we claim to have a government that works for its future generation.”
Rufai further proposed that future fund releases be tied to verified performance metrics. Ministries that fail to execute youth programmes, he said, should face public sanctions and have their allocations redirected to more effective agencies or state-level structures.
Turning Symbolism into Substance
The ADC National Youth Leader concluded by charging Comrade Babangida Isah to transform the NYCN from a ceremonial platform into a “youth parliament of conscience and accountability.”
“You are stepping into leadership at a time when millions of young Nigerians are losing faith in governance,” Rufai said. “Your responsibility is not to flatter politicians but to confront them with facts, with courage, and with unity. If you lead that fight, the youth of Nigeria will stand with you.”
He emphasized that the ADC youth wing would continue to push for evidence-based youth policy and transparent spending through media campaigns, policy papers, and collaborations with independent accountability groups like BudgIT and Yiaga Africa.
“Nigeria’s youth deserve more than token projects they deserve power, opportunity, and justice. This is not about politics; it’s about survival,” Rufai concluded.
Background
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) serves as the umbrella body for youth organizations across the country, representing millions of young Nigerians. Comrade Babangida Isah was elected as its new President earlier this week, succeeding a leadership that many critics say failed to effectively engage government on policy accountability.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), though an opposition party, has been active in youth mobilization, often positioning itself as a reformist voice within Nigeria’s democratic landscape. Comrade Balarabe Rufai, the party’s National Youth Leader, is known for his advocacy on civic accountability and youth inclusion in governance.
North Journal – Abuja Bureau
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