Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, has urged Southwest youths to adopt innovation, discipline, and ethical leadership to prepare for future challenges. Speaking at the Southwest Youth Summit 4.0 held at the International Culture and Event Centre (The Dome) in Akure, he delivered a keynote under the theme "Driving Lasting Impact: Anticipating & Preparing Youth for Tomorrow's Challenges." Ajulo stressed that the future must be intentionally built, stating, "The future does not arrive unbidden, it is forged in the crucible of anticipation, preparation, and purposeful action." He identified technological disruption, climate change, economic shifts, governance issues, and social pressures as key challenges requiring a "Renaissance mindset" among young people.
Ajulo praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's youth-focused policies under the Renewed Hope Agenda, citing the Nigeria Youth Academy and the 3 Million Technical Talent Programme as critical tools for skills development. He quoted Tinubu: "You are not only the future of Nigeria, you are our hope for a more glorious and assured future," and said these initiatives aim to give young Nigerians "wings to fly sky-high." At the state level, he commended Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for youth empowerment efforts, including the "One Youth, One Skill" programme, nano-grants for entrepreneurs, and skill development centres. "Visionary leadership is measured not by rhetoric, but by the doors it unlocks," Ajulo stated. He urged youths to become ethical disruptors and institution builders, closing with a charge to act decisively: "Build boldly, innovate courageously, and execute with relentless discipline."
Dr. Olukayode Ajulo's keynote reveals a calculated effort by Ondo State's leadership to position itself as a model for youth investment in the Southwest — not through grandstanding, but through structured, repeatable programmes like "One Youth, One Skill" and nano-grants, which offer tangible entry points for young people in a region where unemployment and underemployment remain acute. The emphasis on a "Renaissance mindset" is not merely aspirational; it reflects an attempt to reframe youth development as a fusion of local values and global competitiveness, a narrative that subtly distances Ondo from states relying solely on federal handouts or populist gestures.
Ajulo's alignment with Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda — particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent Programme — serves dual purposes: it legitimises state-level efforts by tying them to national momentum, while also shielding them from partisan scrutiny. By quoting the President directly and highlighting federal initiatives, the Attorney General positions Ondo's youth policies as part of a broader, coordinated push, even as other states lag in implementation. The praise for Governor Aiyedatiwa's "practical and people-centred" approach underscores a political calculus — that measurable empowerment projects yield both developmental gains and electoral goodwill.
For ordinary youths in Ondo and across the Southwest, the real value lies not in rhetoric but in access. Programmes like nano-grants and skill centres could shift the odds for young entrepreneurs if they are consistently funded and free from bureaucratic bottlenecks. However, scalability remains a challenge, especially outside urban centres like Akure. The call for "ethical disruptors" resonates in a generation disillusioned by corruption, but it also places the burden of change on individuals rather than systems.
This story fits a growing trend in Nigerian subnational governance: the rise of brand-conscious states using youth development as both policy and public relations. Ondo is not alone in this — Lagos, Ekiti, and Oyo have launched similar initiatives — but its sustained messaging through high-profile figures like Ajulo suggests a long-term strategy. The risk, however, is that such efforts become more visible in speeches than in outcomes.
