President Urges Young Citizens to Stay and Build Local Economic Prosperity

President Bola Tinubu has issued a direct appeal to the country’s youth to remain at home and actively participate in national development, stating that sustainable growth depends on citizens who choose to address domestic challenges rather than emigrating.

Delivering his Democracy Day national address on Friday, June 12, 2026, the President spoke directly to the ongoing “japa” trend a wave of skilled youth migration that has consistently drawn technology professionals, medical practitioners, and academics toward overseas opportunities.

The administration emphasized that state governance must now focus heavily on translating democratic stability into functional economic relief.

To expand domestic opportunities for the younger demographic, the speech highlighted several active federal interventions, including the operational rollout of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), a long-term agricultural mechanization project aimed at deploying 10,000 tractors, and the trade certification of over 1,000 small and medium enterprises to stimulate local export markets.

Framing the current economic transition as a generational duty, the address noted that while previous eras successfully fought to secure national independence and civilian governance, the current generation carries the explicit responsibility of securing widespread commercial prosperity.