Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.
GOMBE, Nigeria — Young people in Gombe State have called for the effective implementation of the state’s newly approved Strategic Youth Policy, urging the government to move beyond policy approval and translate its provisions into tangible opportunities in employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and economic participation.
The demand comes amid renewed attention to youth development in the state, with young people seeking stronger government investment in youth-led enterprises and initiatives capable of expanding access to jobs, markets, skills, finance and other economic opportunities.
The development was reported by The PUNCH, which said youths in Gombe were calling for effective implementation of the newly approved policy alongside increased investment in youth-led businesses, innovation and economic opportunities. A separate report by Northern Nigerian Express similarly reported that Gombe youths were demanding action on the strategic policy and greater support for businesses owned by young people.
For Obaland magazine, the significance of the development extends beyond the approval of another government policy. The central issue is whether the new framework can become a practical instrument for improving the economic prospects of young people in a state where youth development is closely connected to employment, enterprise, social inclusion and long-term economic stability.
From Policy Approval to Practical Implementation
Policy approval is an important first step, but implementation is ultimately what determines whether a policy produces measurable change.
That distinction is particularly important in youth development, where government interventions can lose their impact when they are not supported by adequate funding, institutional coordination, monitoring and clear mechanisms for accountability.
The call from Gombe youths therefore places implementation at the centre of the conversation. Their position reflects a broader expectation that the Strategic Youth Policy should not remain a document on government shelves but should provide a framework through which young people can participate meaningfully in the state’s economic and social development.
A report published by PeriscopeNGA on August 11, 2026, also noted that members of the Gombe Youth Parliament had commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for approving the state’s Strategic Youth Policy. The report said the Youth Parliament was among the youth institutions engaging around the policy and youth development agenda.
The emphasis on implementation is significant because youth policies frequently require cooperation between government ministries, local authorities, private-sector actors, financial institutions, civil society organisations and youth-led groups.
Without that coordination, programmes designed for young people can become fragmented, duplicated or difficult to access.
Youth Entrepreneurship at the Centre of the Debate
One of the strongest elements of the youths’ demand is the emphasis on businesses and innovation.
For many young Nigerians, entrepreneurship has become an important pathway to income generation in an economy where formal employment opportunities remain limited relative to the size of the working-age population.
Gombe is part of that national reality.
The FATE Foundation’s State of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria 2024 Report highlights the importance of market access and opportunities to the growth of youth-led businesses. The report found that access to new markets and opportunities was the leading driver of business growth among youth-led enterprises surveyed, followed by increased demand and technology adoption.
The findings provide useful context for the concerns being raised in Gombe.
Supporting young entrepreneurs cannot be limited to distributing grants or organising short-term training programmes. Sustainable youth enterprise requires an ecosystem in which entrepreneurs can obtain finance, acquire relevant skills, reach customers, adopt technology, register and formalise businesses where necessary, and compete within wider markets.
The same FATE Foundation research underscores the importance of creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs.
Its earlier research also identified inadequate infrastructure, insecurity and limited access to finance among major constraints affecting business growth in Nigeria, while technology was identified as an important driver of growth for youth-led businesses in several sectors.
For Gombe’s young entrepreneurs, the implementation of a strategic youth policy therefore presents an opportunity to address some of these structural challenges in a coordinated manner.
Beyond Grants: Building an Economic Ecosystem
There is an important distinction between empowerment and economic transformation.
An empowerment programme may provide a young person with equipment, a grant or short-term training. Economic transformation, however, requires systems that allow that individual to build a sustainable enterprise capable of creating income and potentially employing others.
This distinction should inform the implementation of Gombe’s Strategic Youth Policy.
Young people need opportunities that connect skills to actual markets. A trained entrepreneur who cannot obtain affordable capital, electricity, digital connectivity, raw materials or customers may struggle to convert training into a viable business.
The policy could therefore have greater impact if implementation is tied to measurable economic outcomes, including the number of youth-led businesses supported, jobs created, enterprises that survive beyond their first years, access to finance, participation in government procurement, market linkages and the growth of innovative businesses.
Such indicators would make it easier for citizens and policymakers to determine whether public investment in youth development is producing results.
Innovation and the Digital Economy
The demand for increased investment in innovation is also significant.
Gombe’s young population is part of a generation increasingly connected to digital technologies, social media, online commerce and emerging forms of entrepreneurship. This creates opportunities for young people to participate in sectors that are not necessarily dependent on traditional employment structures.
Digital businesses, creative industries, technology services, agritech, e-commerce, digital marketing and other knowledge-based enterprises can provide new pathways into the economy.
But innovation cannot flourish on enthusiasm alone.
Young innovators require access to reliable infrastructure, affordable internet services, mentorship, technical skills, finance and markets. They also need institutions willing to create space for experimentation and collaboration.
A properly implemented youth policy could provide a platform for government to work with universities, technology communities, private companies, financial institutions and development organisations to strengthen Gombe’s innovation ecosystem.
The objective should not simply be to produce more training certificates. It should be to create an environment in which young people can develop ideas, build products, attract investment and create sustainable economic value.
Finance Remains a Critical Challenge
Access to affordable finance is another area that deserves attention.
The FATE Foundation’s entrepreneurship research has repeatedly identified financing constraints as a significant challenge for Nigerian entrepreneurs. Its 2023 report found that only a minority of youth-led businesses surveyed had been able to access financing, while high interest rates, inadequate financial records, insufficient collateral and limited availability of funds were among the challenges reported by businesses.
This is particularly relevant to any discussion about youth entrepreneurship in Gombe.
A policy that seeks to promote youth-led businesses must consider how young entrepreneurs can access capital under conditions that allow businesses to survive and grow.
Government-backed funds, credit guarantees, partnerships with financial institutions, cooperative financing models and carefully designed grants could potentially form part of a broader strategy.
However, financial support should also be accompanied by accountability and business development assistance to reduce the risk of programmes becoming temporary interventions without lasting economic impact.
Inclusion Must Remain Central
The implementation of the Strategic Youth Policy should also recognise that young people are not a homogeneous group.
Youth development strategies need to take account of differences in gender, location, education, disability, socioeconomic circumstances and access to technology and finance.
Earlier advocacy around youth policy implementation in Gombe has similarly highlighted the importance of including women, persons with disabilities and marginalised young people in governance and development processes.
The Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative, working with the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund and supported by LEAP Africa, previously advocated for the domestication and full implementation of youth policy in Gombe. The organisation called for youth priorities to be incorporated into state development and budgetary frameworks and stressed the importance of inclusive participation.
That broader perspective is important.
A successful youth policy should ensure that opportunities do not remain concentrated in the state capital or among young people who already have access to influential networks.
Young people in rural communities also need pathways into agriculture, agro-processing, digital services, vocational enterprises and other productive sectors.
Linking Youth Policy With Gombe’s Development Agenda
The Strategic Youth Policy should also be viewed within the wider economic development priorities of Gombe State.
The European Union’s Nigeria programmes compendium, for example, identifies Gombe among the states covered by activities under the Integrated National Financial Framework Phase II, including efforts aimed at expanding investment opportunities and strengthening the capacity of women-led and youth-led businesses to access investment opportunities.
Such initiatives demonstrate the importance of connecting youth development with broader investment and financing strategies rather than treating youth programmes as isolated social interventions.
For Gombe, a coordinated approach could allow youth entrepreneurship to complement agriculture, manufacturing, services, technology and other sectors of the state’s economy.
Young people should not be viewed solely as beneficiaries of government programmes. They can also be employers, innovators, investors, farmers, technology developers, creative professionals and community leaders.
Accountability Will Determine the Policy’s Legacy
Perhaps the most important question now is how implementation will be monitored.
The call from Gombe youths places an obligation on government to provide clarity about the policy’s priorities, funding mechanisms, implementation timetable and expected outcomes.
Regular public reporting could strengthen confidence in the process.
Government could, for example, publish information about programmes launched under the policy, beneficiaries reached, funds committed, enterprises supported, jobs created and challenges encountered.
Such transparency would allow citizens to assess progress and would also help policymakers identify programmes that are working and those that require adjustment.
Youth representatives should have a meaningful role in this process.
Participation should extend beyond consultation meetings. Young people should be involved in programme design, implementation feedback and evaluation, ensuring that policies respond to the realities they experience.
A Test of Political Will
The approval of the Strategic Youth Policy has created expectations among Gombe’s young population.
The challenge now is to turn those expectations into measurable outcomes.
For the government, effective implementation could strengthen its broader development agenda by creating opportunities for young people to become productive participants in the state’s economy.
For young people, the policy offers a potential framework through which long-standing demands for jobs, enterprise support, innovation and greater participation can be pursued through structured engagement.
But the ultimate test will not be the language contained in the policy document. It will be what young people can see and experience on the ground.
Can a young entrepreneur obtain support and grow a business? Can an innovator access mentorship and investment? Can a skilled graduate find a pathway into productive employment? Can a young woman in a rural community access economic opportunities? Can young people participate in decisions that directly affect their future?
Those are the questions that will determine whether Gombe’s Strategic Youth Policy becomes a meaningful development instrument or another policy initiative remembered primarily for its launch.
As Gombe’s youths call for implementation and greater investment, the message to policymakers is clear: approval is the beginning of policy delivery, not its conclusion.
For a state seeking inclusive and sustainable development, investing in its young population is not simply a social obligation. It is an economic strategy.
The success of the Strategic Youth Policy will ultimately be measured by whether it creates the conditions for young people to build businesses, develop innovations, secure livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to Gombe’s future.
Sources
- The PUNCH
- Northern Nigerian Express
- Foundation for Community Empowerment Initiative (FOCEI)
- European Union in Nigeria
Gombe youths are demanding effective implementation of the state’s Strategic Youth Policy, increased investment in youth-led businesses, innovation, jobs and inclusive economic opportunities.