Twenty youth leaders drawn from youth-led organisations across Northwest Nigeria have been empowered with institutional capacity-building skills aimed at strengthening governance, financial management and accountability within the youth ecosystem.
The programme, organised by Bridge Connect Africa Initiative under its Youth Leading Change Programme, was supported by the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) and brought together leaders of organisations operating in Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano states.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the programme on Thursday, Abdulaziz Musa, Programme Lead at Bridge Connect Africa Initiative, said the training was designed to move youth engagement beyond passion and activism toward building strong, sustainable institutions capable of driving long-term change.
“These 20 youth leaders are already leading organisations and initiatives in their communities. What we have done here is strengthen their internal systems—governance, finance, human resources, monitoring and evaluation—so they can deliver their work more effectively and transparently,” Musa said.
He explained that the programme prioritised inclusivity, with participation from both male- and female-led organisations, and focused squarely on young people as current and future leaders. According to him, strengthening organisational systems is also a strategic way of addressing corruption, nepotism and weak leadership structures that often undermine development efforts.
Musa noted that the Youth Leading Change Programme runs for 12 months, with Bridge Connect Africa serving as a catalytic grantee responsible for building the capacity of other youth-led organisations across Northwest Nigeria. In addition to the consortium workshop, he said the programme includes a fellowship component that supports 35 young people, selected from over 750 applications, to develop leadership and civic engagement skills.
Also speaking, Richard Chudiebere, Grants and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Officer at the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, said the training aligns with NYFF’s broader mission of strengthening youth participation in governance across Nigeria.
“Nigeria Youth Futures Fund exists to strengthen the youth ecosystem and equip young people to engage government at both national and sub-national levels in a structured and effective way,” Chudiebere said.
He explained that NYFF, implemented by LEAP Africa and co-funded by the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and Luminate Group, provides annual grants to youth-led organisations. Bridge Connect Africa, he added, was supported at the catalytic level to serve as a mentor organisation for more than 14 NYFF grantees across the Northwest.
According to Chudiebere, the need for the capacity-building intervention became clear after assessments showed that many youth organisations were delivering impactful work but lacked strong financial practices, governance policies and institutional systems.
“Beyond funding projects, we want youth organisations to be built internally so they can survive, scale and remain credible. That is why we empowered Bridge Connect Africa to train and support our grantees in this region,” he said.
He added that the NYFF was inspired by the #EndSARS protests, which highlighted both the passion of young Nigerians and the gaps in their capacity to engage government constructively.
“Youth engagement is moving beyond placards and protests to structured policy engagement. Our long-term expectation is that youth participation in decision-making becomes institutionalised, not tokenistic,” Chudiebere said.
The workshop covered key areas including governance structures, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, communications and organisational sustainability. Participants are expected to apply the skills gained to strengthen their organisations and enhance youth-led advocacy for good governance, accountability and transparency across Northwest Nigeria.
