A leadership crisis is brewing between the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development following disagreements over the recognition of the council’s national executives. The rift, which escalated this week, stems from the ministry’s alleged refusal to acknowledge the leadership of the current NYCN president, Comrade Benjamin Okechukwu, who was elected during the council’s last convention in Abuja. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Okechukwu accused officials of the ministry of attempting to impose a “factional leadership” on the council, describing the move as an attempt to politicize youth representation in Nigeria.
We were duly elected in line with the NYCN constitution and ratified by the congress. It is unfortunate that the Ministry of Youth Development is trying to destabilize the council by recognizing impostors. This is a deliberate effort to weaken the voice of Nigerian youths,” Okechukwu said. He alleged that certain individuals within the ministry were collaborating with a splinter group to hijack the council’s activities, particularly ahead of upcoming government youth programmes and international engagements.
The NYCN is not an appendage of the ministry. We are an independent youth body recognized by law. Any attempt to manipulate our structure will be resisted,” he added. However, in a swift response, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development denied the allegations, insisting that its actions were guided by due process and aimed at resolving longstanding internal disputes within the council. The ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Sarah Adewale, said the government remained committed to ensuring transparency and inclusivity in youth affairs. The ministry has not imposed any leadership on the NYCN.
Our role is to maintain peace and order within the youth community. We will only recognize leadership that emerges from a transparent and widely accepted process,” she explained. The clash has divided stakeholders in the youth sector, with some state chapters of the NYCN backing Okechukwu’s leadership, while others have aligned with a rival faction reportedly endorsed by ministry officials. Observers fear that the crisis could derail key youth development initiatives, including the ongoing national youth policy review and the planned youth innovation summit scheduled for November. Civil society groups have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Ibrahim, to intervene and prevent further escalation.
The youth council should be a symbol of unity, not division. This infighting only weakens young people’s influence in national affairs,” said Mr. Tunde Alabi, a youth development advocate based in Lagos. As both sides dig in, calls are growing for a neutral reconciliation committee to restore order and credibility to the NYCN — the umbrella body representing millions of Nigerian youths across the federation.
