Today, as the world commemorates International Youth Day 2025, we in Nasarawa State must take a moment to reflect on the role of our youth in shaping a more united and progressive future. This year’s celebration carries particular significance for us, not just as a symbolic nod to the power and potential of young people, but as a call to action ahead of the 2027 elections.

We have long echoed the sentiment that “youth are the leaders of tomorrow.” But leadership is not a gift that arrives by default, it is earned, shaped, and tested in moments like these. As the political atmosphere begins to build, our youth must stand firm against the divisive forces of ethnic and religious politics, which have too often defined our past and hindered our progress.

The politics of exclusion and “indigeneship” has no place in a modern democracy. Nigeria’s Constitution is clear: every citizen has the freedom of movement and residence, as well as the right to vote and be voted for, regardless of their state of origin. These are not just legal principles, they are moral imperatives in a diverse nation like ours.

Let us ask ourselves: should someone who has lived in Awe, Keffi, or Lafia for 100 years contributing to its growth, paying taxes, raising families be considered less “deserving” of leadership than someone labeled an indigene but with no vision or record of service? The answer should be self-evident.

History reminds us that no one is truly indigenous in the absolute sense. Our ancestors all migrated from elsewhere before settling in the towns and villages we now call home. In that light, we are all settlers, interconnected by a shared aspiration for peace, progress, and unity.

It is time for our youth to lead by example. The days of ethnic profiling and sectarian politics must be firmly behind us. As 2027 approaches, let us build a Nasarawa where competence, character, and commitment to development are the only credentials that matter.

On this International Youth Day, we urge every young person in Nasarawa State to rise above outdated sentiments. Our future is too important to be left to the politics of division. Let us unite, participate, and build a state where everyone regardless of origin can belong, contribute, and lead.