By Promise Eze
Three youth groups on 16 August in Abuja held a space to commemorate the 2025 International Youth Day and to encourage efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The organisations Together for the Future Foundation, Movement Beyond Walls and Project 29 Foundation hosted the event themed “Dream. Act. Change: Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond” to acknowledge the contributions and role of young people in shaping the world, while emphasising youth-led actions within communities to advance the SDGs.
The event featured engaging sessions that prioritised the lived experiences of young people, amplifying their voices and opinions. It drew participants from diverse backgrounds, including persons with disabilities.
“The reason we did this event is to make sure that young people have a voice, to make sure that young people are able to speak, and learn from other young people who are already pushing action towards the SDGs, and also meet other young people who are doing the same work that they are doing,” said Pelemo Nyajo, founder of the Movement Beyond Walls.
The event featured sessions on learning about the SDGs, opportunities for participants to network, and words of encouragement from seasoned changemakers.
Speaking on the importance of young people taking action in their communities to advance the SDGs, Chukwuekem Chibuikem, who leads the Together for the Future Foundation, said: “It’s important for young people to come together to drive change because young people know the issues that affect us directly. Young people are seeing the issues that affect us directly. So, I think young people should be involved in the policy and decisions that affect us, basically, because we know our story better.”
“Young people don’t have to just wait till they have it all. You can start from social media. You can just take actions and just do something towards your dream. You don’t have to wait for a lot of funds before you start. So, with that dream that they have, they’ll start taking the actions in their community to improve lives and do something for their community,” said Goodness Gbemisola James, the founder of Project 29 Foundation.
Emphasising on the importance of maintaining a visible track record of impact, one of the speakers, Jabir Yahya Zakari, a Mandela Washington fellow, noted that many application processes no longer require long essays but instead request social media handles, as it is assumed that applicants’ activities and impact are already visible online.
According to him, organisations often review these digital footprints to assess the work individuals are doing in their communities and beyond. He advised young people, even those who are not active on social media, to ensure they build some form of online presence because it can be a valuable asset.
For Joel Kadon Musa, who lives with a hearing impairment, the event was particularly exciting because it took people with disabilities into consideration. He said he would encourage others to participate in similar initiatives.
For Fasaki Sodiq, a participant, the highlight was the networking session, where they connected with others, learned about their work, and built mutual understanding. He noted it was mainly about amplifying voices and ensuring the SDGs are better localised.
