The National Human Rights Commission has called for sustained investment in Nigerian youths, saying the country’s future depends largely on how well young people are supported, protected and empowered today.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, SAN, made the call in a statement on Wednesday to mark the 2026 International Youth Day, themed “From Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
Ojukwu said investing in young people amounted to investing in Nigeria’s human rights future, stressing the need for stakeholders to listen to their voices, protect their rights and create opportunities for them to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives.
He stated that young people were not only leaders of tomorrow but important partners in shaping Nigeria’s present.
However, he noted that millions of young Nigerians continued to face human rights challenges, including unemployment, poverty, limited access to quality education, discrimination, violence, trafficking, exploitation and abuses in digital spaces.
