President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation, part of his yearly leave.
According to a release issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.
He will return to the country after the leave expires.
Tinubu departed at exactly 2:35pm, after exchanging pleasantries with some top government officials in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The president celebrated Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day anniversary with a speech, in which he said the Federal Government would introduce a 30-day confab aimed at including the youth in his administration.
The President said the modalities of the confab and selection of delegates would be designed as soon as possible.
“As we work to overcome the challenges of the day, we remain mindful of the next generation as we seek to galvanise their creative energy towards a better future,” he said during his second Independence Day anniversary broadcast since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
“We lead today with the future we wish to bequeath to our children in focus, recognising that we cannot design a future that belongs to them without making them its architects.
“Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference. This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population.
“It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.
“The 30-day Confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice.
“The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives. Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations.
“The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”
Tinubu further said his administration decided to reform Nigeria’s political economy and defence architecture for the nation to survive.
The President also saluted the doggedness of the Nigerian people, saying the country has survived crises that disintegrated other nations.
Tinubu said his administration is determined to win the war against bandits and terrorists so that displaced farmers can return to their farmlands and boost production to reduce soaring food prices.