*Photo L-R: Assistant Governor Zainab Omowumi Owonikoko; the District Governor, Engr. Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko; the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande; and the Chairman of the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), Dr. Kayode Olushola Fasua during the induction of the Minister as a Rotarian at the opening of RYLA Camp for 600 youths by Rotary International District 9127 at the British Nigeria *
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has challenged Nigerian youths to develop character, competence and commitment, saying the country needs young people who are prepared to take responsibility and provide leadership across different sectors.
*A crosssection of the RYLA participants*
Olawande spoke on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), where more than 600 young Nigerians were brought together by Rotary International District 9127 for leadership development under the theme, “Transforming Talents into Impact.”
The Minister said leadership should not be postponed until young people attained political office or senior positions, stressing that leadership begins with the choices and responsibilities individuals accept in their everyday lives.
“Leadership is not about titles. Leadership is not about appointments. Leadership does not start only when you become a minister. Leadership does not start when you become a governor or a president,” he said.
“Leadership starts with responsibility. It starts with all of us as we are sitting down here. Don’t think it is when you are old that you become a leader.”
Olawande said effective leadership was rooted in service and character, urging the participants to begin building the qualities required for responsible leadership from an early age.
“Leadership is about service. It is about service. Nothing but service. But how can you build that service? It is with character,” he said.
“Character is key in whatever you are doing. Build competence from now.”
He said young Nigerians should not allow difficult backgrounds or past experiences to limit their ambitions, sharing aspects of his own journey to demonstrate that perseverance and hard work could help individuals overcome challenges.
“I have explained to people, times without number, especially young people, that you can be whatever you want to become if you are hardworking and you believe,” the Minister said.
“Before you get to the top, a lot of things have happened. But people only see the minister part. They don’t see what you have passed through.”
The Minister urged the participants to acquire practical skills and continuously improve themselves, noting that academic qualifications alone were no longer sufficient in a rapidly changing world.
“A university degree is important, but please, the world is changing. A degree alone cannot strengthen you enough,” he said.
“You must have a skill, at least two skills. We must understand technology. We must be able to communicate. We must know how to solve problems ourselves without always going to somebody.”
He said young people must also learn to convert knowledge into value by identifying problems in their communities and developing solutions that could improve lives.
“Character is key. Build your skills. Whatever can solve a problem, it is you, not anybody. Drop your personal interest, mix with people, get knowledge, improve yourself and be whatever you want to be,” Olawande said.
The Minister said the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Youth Development, was working to provide young people with skills, entrepreneurial opportunities and access to finance.
“The Ministry of Youth Development today is focused on building capable, productive and confident young people through programmes that provide jobs, skills, entrepreneurship and opportunities,” he said.
He said the government could not address all youth development challenges alone, stressing the importance of collaboration with the private sector, civil society and organisations such as Rotary.
“The government cannot do it alone,” Olawande said, describing Rotary’s engagement with more than 600 young people as an important contribution to nation-building.
He urged young Nigerians to see themselves as partners in national development and to take advantage of opportunities being created by government and other organisations.
“Our responsibility is to translate the brief of opportunity into opportunities for every young person, so that young people can see the government, feel the government and touch the government,” he said.
“But opportunity must meet preparation. When doors are open, you must be ready to walk through them.”
Olawande also called on youths to use digital platforms more productively, urging them to balance entertainment and social media activities with learning, skills development and other activities that could improve their future prospects.
He said Nigeria needed young people in virtually every sector, including business, technology, agriculture, politics, public service and community development.
“Nigeria needs you. Nigeria needs better, productive young entrepreneurs, politicians and people who believe that life can be better,” he said.
“Nigeria needs you to be in business. They need you to be in technology. They need you to be in agriculture. They need you to be in public service. They need you to be in our communities.”
Olawande urged the participants to constantly examine the value they could bring to society by asking themselves three questions: “What problem can you solve? Who can help you solve the problem? And the third one, what will Nigerians gain from your talents?”
He said he intended to maintain contact with the participants and support their development beyond the academy, stressing that his interest was in producing purpose-driven and impactful young Nigerians.
“I want to have purpose-driven and purpose-living young people who are impactful,” he said.
The Minister urged the participants to ensure that their experience at RYLA resulted in tangible changes in their lives and communities.
“Let purpose take the future and take it further from here. Let your impact speak for you,” he said.
Earlier, Rotary International District 9127 Governor, Engr. Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko, urged the participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the academy.
He said the programme offered young people opportunities to make new friends, acquire skills and gain experiences that could prove valuable throughout their lives.
“Whatever you have a chance to learn here will be useful. A lot of people make a living not from what they studied at the University, College of Education or Polytechnic, but from the extra opportunities they had,” Owonikoko said.
He urged participants to pay attention to the programme and abide by its rules, saying mentorship, sponsorship and other opportunities could emerge from their participation.
“Things will come your way. Sponsorship might come. Mentorship might come. So many good things will come your way,” he said.
Owonikoko also commended the participants for their conduct and described the gathering as an unusually large youth leadership programme, urging them to maintain discipline throughout the academy.
The programme brought together young Nigerians for sessions covering leadership, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, financial intelligence, civic responsibility, character development, mentorship and practical skills.
The Chairman of the RYLA 2026 Planning Committee, Dr Kayode Olushola Fasua, said the academy was historic because of the large number of young Nigerians participating.
He said the participants would be exposed to leadership conversations, digital innovation and artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, financial intelligence, civic responsibility, character development, mentorship, vocational skills and other life-transforming experiences.
He urged the participants to leave the academy not merely inspired but transformed into ethical leaders, innovative problem-solvers and compassionate citizens capable of contributing to their communities and the nation.