12/08/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 12, 2026
Abuja - Nigeria
YES AFRICA MARKS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2026: "DIFFERENT CONTEXT, COMMON ASPIRATION"
As the world commemorates International Youth Day 2026, the Youth Empowerment Solutions Initiative – YES AFRICA joins young people globally to affirm that despite our different contexts, we share one common aspiration: a just, peaceful, and prosperous future.
This year’s theme, “Different Context, Common Aspiration” speaks directly to Nigeria. From Daura in Katsina, to Maiduguri, to Port Harcourt, to Enugu and Lagos young Nigerians face different realities - unemployment, insecurity, climate impacts, and shrinking civic space. Yet our aspiration is the same: decent work, quality education, inclusion in governance, and the freedom to lead.
THE REALITY
With over 60% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 35, young people are not just the future. They are driving the present.
But aspiration without investment becomes frustration. Too many young people are excluded from policy tables, denied funding for their ideas, and reduced to statistics instead of being seen as solutions.
YES AFRICA’S POSITION
“Different contexts should not mean different opportunities,” said Oche P. Edeh, Executive Director, YES AFRICA.
“What unites us as young people is our shared dream for Nigeria and Africa. On this International Youth Day, we are calling for intentional investment that meets young people where they are - in rural communities, in informal sectors, online, and in conflict-affected areas.
When we fund local youth action and trust young people to lead, we turn common aspirations into common progress.”
OUR CALL TO ACTION
On this International Youth Day 2026, YES AFRICA calls on:
1. Government at all levels to institutionalize youth participation through Youth Advisory Boards in MDAs and dedicate at least 10% of their budgets to youth development.
2. Private Sector to expand internships, skills apprenticeships, and procurement for young entrepreneurs across all regions
3. Development Partners to decentralize funding and directly resource grassroots and youth-led organizations
4. Young People to organize, collaborate across differences, vote, and hold leaders accountable
The diversity of our contexts is our strength. Our common aspiration must be our compass.
Let us move from tokenism to transformation.
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ABOUT YES AFRICA
Youth Empowerment Solutions Initiative – YES AFRICA is a Nigerian and African youth-focused organization committed to equipping young people with the skills, voice, and platforms to lead national development. We work across governance, democracy, peacebuilding, and civic engagement.
For Media Inquiries:
Contact: Adegoke Olufemi
Address: Kenuj 02 Mall, Kaura District, Abuja, Nigeria
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.yesafri.org
