African Youth Platform Reform: Calls for Uniform ‘National Youth Council’ Model
Djibouti – A high-ranking Pan-African youth official has called for a continent-wide overhaul of national youth coordinating bodies, advocating for a uniform structure and a specific name: the National Youth Council (NYC).
The remarks were made by Oladele Nihi, Vice President for West Africa of the Pan-African Youth Union (PYU), during a session on the Youth Reform Agenda at the 5th Pan-African Youth Forum currently underway in Djibouti. Mr. Nihi, who also serves as the Special Adviser on Youth & Student Matters to the Kogi State Governor in Nigeria, stressed the need for consistency across the continent’s youth platforms.
The Proposed Model: Hybrid Independence
Mr. Nihi acknowledged the practical challenges of completely divorcing these platforms from government oversight, stating that it is “unrealistic to have an NYC that is completely independent of government.”However, he strongly advocated for a new governance model to ensure the leadership truly represents the continent’s young people. He recommended a “partially independent NYC with limited government involvement,” proposing a hybrid leadership structure: Government-Appointed Oversight: A Board appointed by the government for a longer term of four years. Youth-Elected Executive: An NYC Executive elected directly by the young people of the country for a shorter term of two years. This proposed structure aims to balance governmental accountability and funding with democratic representation and the authentic voice of the youth.
Mr. Nihi emphasised that the ultimate goal is to establish an NYC leadership that “represents the aspirations of youths from each member state.”
The 5th Pan-African Youth Forum, a flagship programme of the African Union Commission, has gathered young leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the continent to discuss key strategies for advancing the AU’s Agenda 2063. Discussions at the forum are focused on strengthening youth participation in development and governance under the theme, “From Aspiration to Action: Youth, Catalysts for Sustainable Development.”
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