The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ondo State, Mutiu Agboke, has called on Nigerian youths to embrace innovation, integrity, and active participation in governance as pathways to sustainable national development.
Dr. Agboke made the call while presenting a paper titled, “From Ideas to Impact: Harnessing Youth-Driven Innovations for Sustainable Governance and National Development,” at the Leadership and Empowerment Summit organised by the Students’ Union and the New Dawn Administration of the University of Ilorin on Friday.
In his presentation, the electoral commissioner described Nigeria’s youth population as the nation’s “greatest untapped development resource.”
“Empowering young people through education, technology, and participatory governance would strengthen democratic institutions and stimulate economic growth,” he stressed.
He said empirical evidence had shown that young people could generate economic value and improve social outcomes when given access to finance, mentorship, infrastructure, and innovation opportunities.
According to him, “barriers such as educational misalignment, inadequate infrastructure, financing gaps, and brain drain continue to suppress Nigeria’s innovation potential and threaten long-term national development.
“Addressing these barriers is not merely a matter of charity or social investment. It is a matter of national security and long-term economic survival.”
He cited countries including Rwanda, Estonia, South Korea, and Kenya as examples of nations that transformed their economies through youth-centred innovation policies and institutional investments.
He argued that Nigeria possesses greater human capital potential than many of those countries but lacks the institutional discipline and political commitment required to maximise it effectively.
Speaking on democratic governance, Agboke commended the rise of youth-led civic technology initiatives in Nigeria, highlighting organisations such as BudgIT and Connected Development Initiative for promoting accountability and transparency in governance.
He noted that digital advocacy and technological innovations had contributed significantly to electoral reforms, including the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 general elections.
The electoral commissioner also referenced the #EndSARS protests, describing the movement as evidence of the ability of Nigerian youths to organise peacefully and demand institutional reforms through digital platforms.
Agboke urged students and youth leaders to engage constructively in governance processes by voting, monitoring public institutions, advocating policy reforms, and participating in elections.
He advised young people to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, noting that innovation requires ethical reasoning, empathy, and communication alongside technological expertise.
Addressing students directly, he encouraged them to identify societal problems, form teams, and develop practical solutions rather than waiting for ideal conditions before taking action.
“Be innovative. Be courageous. Be audacious. Be Unilorite, not with the embodiment of knowledge and sagacity only, but with untainted credibility and unalloyed integrity,” he said.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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