Founder of the Eleniyancares Leadership Foundation, Hon. Segun Olulade, fondly called Eleniyan, has urged Nigerian youths to abandon the path of disruptive protests and embrace dialogue as a more effective tool for national transformation.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the Youth National Discourse 2025, themed “From Protest to Dialogue: Redefining Youth Engagement for National Transformation,” Eleniyan said that while protests had historically served as outlets for frustration and anger, they had often brought more harm than progress.
“Sadly, these protests have often damaged our collective values and destroyed our lives and property, as well as deepened the mistrust between the citizens and the government,” he lamented. “Even more painful is the fact that at times, such protests have been hijacked and sponsored by individuals or groups who profit from chaos, leaving innocent youths to pay the ultimate price with their lives.”
Eleniyan challenged Nigerian youths to reflect deeply: “Have these protests truly brought the change we desire? Or have they only deepened our wound as a nation?” He emphasized that the time had come to replace confrontation with constructive engagement.
“This is why dialogue is needed,” he stressed. “Open, honest and continuous dialogue must now take the front seat in shaping our nation’s direction. Dialogue builds bridges where divisions once stood. It creates understanding where suspicions once thrived.”
According to Olulade, the energy, intelligence, and innovation of Nigerian youths can only achieve meaningful results through synergy with government institutions. “Through dialogue, Nigerian youth can forge synergy with the government, influence peace, and break the barriers between the nation and its dynamic, proactive, very intelligent youth,” he said.
He encouraged youths to take advantage of the open-door policy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing the Renewed Hope Agenda as an invitation to constructive engagement. “The door of engagement has never been more open than it is today. We must seize this moment to build and rebuild the trust,” Olulade said.
The former Lagos lawmaker acknowledged the government’s increasing youth inclusion in governance and its investment in innovation, entrepreneurship, and grassroots development. “Government cannot do it alone, but together, through collaborations, conversation and commitment, we can achieve a Nigeria that works for all,” he affirmed.
Highlighting the significance of the gathering, he described the Youth National Discourse 2025 as more than a conference. “It is a movement of minds and hearts. A platform to be strong, to connect and to chart a realistic roadmap for national transformation,” Eleniyan declared.
He concluded with a challenge to participants: “I encourage every participant to speak the truth to the government, to the policy makers. It is time we open up, not through aggression but through reasons, through facts and solutions.”
