The Convener of the Youth Creative Consortium (YCC), Blaise Kizito-Ndukwe, has projected that a young person will emerge as president in the 2035 elections.
Ndukwe made the assertion on Wednesday in Abuja during the group’s one-year anniversary, stating that the YCC intends to implement strategies to “retire” the current political class.
He said the organisation is preparing young people to take up top leadership roles as presidents, legislators, and governors.
“Very soon we will unleash them. We will take over in 2035 , and they will see. They will be disappointed. What I am sure of is that our dear President Tinubu will win in 2027; whoever he hands over to in 2031 will not get a second term. YCC will take over from that person,” he stated.
Ndukwe urged young people to remain focused, noting that while entertainment and sports are good, they must balance them with productive work.
“The only way to retire the old guard is by demonstrating capacity and practical achievements. Youth are the leaders of today, not tomorrow. YCC is training young innovators to create and lead effectively, laying a strong foundation for political leadership in 2035,” he said.
He added that the group would be politically active in 2027, deploying observers across all 774 local government areas during the general elections.
In his opening remarks at the anniversary town hall, Ndukwe explained that the group’s core mandate is to combat insecurity and violence by “silencing the guns” through positive youth engagement.
“The mandate is clear. Today’s panel is historic. We have officially transferred the Silencing the Guns mandate, through creativity, to our continental, regional, national, and state leaders.
You must take this initiative to your communities and promote progress through non-competitive approaches. Safe engagements, structured youth programmes, and conflict prevention are key. Silencing the Guns begins long before conflict escalates,it begins with inclusion, empowerment, and responsible leadership.
“We are not here to disarm those already carrying arms; our aim is to prevent vulnerable youth from becoming future handlers of guns. To our partners at the African Union, we respectfully request support to coordinate our continental efforts. We cannot do this alone.”
He noted that what began as a bold idea has evolved in twelve months into a continental youth-driven peace model.
“YCC is not a political movement. We are non-partisan, youth-focused, and youth-driven. Our goal is to silence guns in Africa before 2030 through creativity, innovation, diplomacy, and empowerment,” he said.
Speaking about the group’s achievements, Ndukwe said: “In just one year, YCC has accomplished what others could not in a decade.
We have successfully engaged vulnerable youth who might otherwise be drawn into destabilising environments. YCC is a new vehicle, structured, disciplined, and purpose-driven.”
He also outlined the group’s continental initiatives, including a partnership with the African Union’s Political Affairs, Peace, and Security Department; hosting the YCC 1.0 continental conference in Abuja with over 2,000 youth participants; and engaging leaders from various governmental and regional institutions.
He added that YCC has launched permanent training programmes in Ogun and Lagos states, established structures across Nigeria, and deployed members as short-term election observers in Guinea-Bissau, Egypt, and during the United Nations General Assembly. The group has also contributed to AU-led peacekeeping efforts in Liberia and held the first-ever Peace and Security Council simulation for Nigerian university students.
By mid-2026, YCC will host YCC 2.0 in East Africa, focusing on student unions and youth leadership.
The African Union will support both the conference and additional empowerment initiatives.
Former Senator Shehu Sani, speaking at the event, urged young people to seek power rather than limit themselves to complaints or protests.
“Every generation must discover its mission, define its priorities, and pursue them. YCC provides a platform to unite young people and encourage progressive and significant aspirations that contribute to national prosperity,” he said.
He encouraged youths to engage politically, invest time and resources in progress, and take advantage of opportunities within Nigeria instead of believing that success exists only abroad.
According to him, Nigeria’s resources, rivers, arable land, minerals, and a large population, provide the foundation for economic growth.
Sani also urged political leaders to create an enabling environment for youth to thrive, warning that without education and opportunity, the country risks perpetuating poverty.
Listing figures such as Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Tony Elumelu, and Femi Otedola, he emphasised that young people can succeed in Nigeria.
“You do not have to leave this country to achieve success.
These industrialists made their mark here. Our young people must understand that risking their lives crossing the Sahara or Mediterranean is unnecessary.
There are abundant opportunities here, opportunities that even foreigners come to explore.”
He noted Nigeria’s wealth of natural resources, including rivers, arable land, gold, lithium, and diamonds, as well as its large population.
“As far as I am concerned, the dreams of our young people should be to explore what we have here for their economic progress and for the future,” he concluded.
