INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: The Future Belongs To The Young People

 

 

Today, as we celebrate International Youth Day, we are reminded of a truth that history has demonstrated again and again: the future of every nation belongs to its young people.

 

From generation to generation, the baton of leadership has been passed from one generation to another. From Zik and Awolowo to the generations of leaders that followed and through the many men and women who shaped our nation’s history, young people have never merely waited for the future, they have helped to build it.

 

Across the world, nations are increasingly recognizing that investing in young people is not simply an act of generosity; it is an investment in the survival, strength and prosperity of society itself. The United Nations and young leaders across the world continue to remind us that when young people are empowered, nations move forward.

 

Today, the young people of Taraba, Nigeria and the world stand at the centre of our collective future.

 

They are the students sitting in classrooms and lecture halls, the young professionals serving in our civil service, the entrepreneurs creating opportunities, the athletes carrying our hopes on the world stage, the young men and women entering politics and public service, and the fathers and mothers raising the next generation.

That is an enormous responsibility. But it is also an extraordinary opportunity.

 

And despite declining resources, rising living costs, global economic uncertainty, unemployment, population growth and the many pressures confronting our society, our young people have continued to demonstrate something that cannot be measured in statistics: courage.

 

They have shown resilience when circumstances demanded resilience.

They have shown creativity when resources were scarce.

 

They have shown determination when the road ahead appeared uncertain.

And they have continued to dream of a better society even when the present has given them reasons to doubt.

 

Today, therefore, is not merely a day to celebrate young people.

It is a day to create opportunities for them.

And it is a day to remind them that their voices matter and their dreams matter.

 

To the young people of Taraba: do not allow the difficulties of today to convince you that you are incapable of shaping tomorrow.

 

Your age is not a limitation. It is an advantage. You possess the energy to challenge old assumptions, the imagination to create new possibilities and the courage to build what previous generations could only imagine.

The responsibility before you is great, but so is the promise within you.

 

Our task as leaders is not to stand in the way of the generation coming behind us. Our task is to prepare the road, open the doors, create opportunities and, when the time comes, confidently hand over the baton.

Because leadership is not about holding the baton forever.

 

Leadership is about knowing when to pass it, and preparing those who will carry it farther.

On this International Youth Day, I salute the courage, strength, conviction, creativity and persistence of young people everywhere, particularly the young people of Taraba.

May you continue to dream boldly, work tirelessly and believe passionately in the possibility of a better tomorrow.

 

The future is not something you are waiting for.

The future is something you are already building.

 

Happy International Youth Day.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, CON, Esq.

WED 12 AUG 2026