PressPayNG has convened over 200 Nigerian students from all six geopolitical zones for a leadership and peacebuilding forum in Abuja. The event, supported by UNESCO under its Intercultural Leadership Programme, aimed to position young people as active contributors to national development. Founder and CEO of PressPayNG, Abiola Metilelu, stated the gathering was designed to shift youth from passive observers to architects of peace in shaping Nigeria's future.

Metilelu emphasized that Nigeria's core challenge is no longer limited to policy gaps but extends to public perception, which, if unaddressed, could escalate into conflict. The forum, according to her, was a strategic effort to influence how national narratives are formed. The initiative began with a three-month engagement process, starting with a virtual boot camp that involved 50 students from various tertiary institutions across the country.

A follow-up in-person session was held for 25 participants on the morning of the forum, focused on leadership and peacebuilding. This session was co-facilitated by Petra Akinti Onyegbule, Head of Government Strategic Partnerships and former Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of Kogi State, and Kehinde Charity Awujoola, Senior Special Assistant on Gender Matters to the Honourable Minister of Youth Development. Onyegbule described the Abuja forum as the culmination of sustained engagement rather than an isolated event.

The gathering sought to foster intercultural dialogue and equip students with tools to drive positive social change. No further details were provided on specific outcomes or follow-up actions planned beyond the forum.

💡 NaijaBuzz Take

Abiola Metilelu claims the forum repositions youth as architects of peace, yet offers no mechanism for how these students will influence national policy. The event's emphasis on narrative over action leaves unclear how 200 participants will translate dialogue into tangible change. No funding commitment or government mandate was disclosed to sustain the initiative beyond the UNESCO-backed sessions.

💡 NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →