Summit Highlights Importance of Youth Engagement to National Development

The 5th Social Media Digest Summit (SMDS) in Abuja, Nigeria, has highlighted Youth engagement as a crucial driver of national development.

The summit themed ‘Social Media: A Tool for Development in a Renewed Hope Era,’ featured an essay competition aimed at encouraging productive use of social media among Nigerian youths.

The competition, an initiative of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastine Hon, saw three finalists emerge.

Joshua Inioluwa, a Medicine and Surgery student from the University of Ibadan; Deborah Ikiriko, a Law graduate from Rivers State University; and Leah Akanga from Niger State, who is awaiting admission into a tertiary institution.

The Convener of the summit, Mr. Jacob Wuese, explained that the essay with the topic, “How Has Social Media Fostered Development in Nigeria in the Year 2024?” was designed to harness the potential of young Nigerians.

He emphasized the summit’s goal of promoting the positive and impactful use of social media.

“Our vision is to project the benefits of social media to the teeming population of Nigeria, Africa, and the world. This platform encourages behavioral and social changes that foster growth. It is our hope that at the end of the summit, we shall engender both social and behavioral changes which could lead to positive growth of the nation and the entire earth,” Wuese said.

The Mandate Secretary of the Social Development Secretariat, FCTA, Mr. Ibrahim Aminu, represented by Mr. Saka Sunday, stressed the role of social media in development and called for its responsible use.

“Social media has revolutionized how we drive development, mobilize communities, and disseminate real-time information. Events like this discourage fake news, blackmail, and cyberbullying,” Aminu stated.

Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary of the Youth Development Secretariat, Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman urged young people to leverage social media opportunities to advance technology and promote peace.

The Director of Tourism Development, FCTA, Mrs. Ann Dogo, praised the initiative, calling it a step in the right direction.

“This summit is vital. Young people must use social media positively rather than tarnishing their image and ours,” she remarked.

Also speaking, the initiator, Mr Sebastian Hon, who stressed that the power of the social media space can not be underestimated, advised the youths to redirect their attention to those positive things it brings.

He further added that the essay competition was part of his contribution to the development of the youths in the country.
The Essay winners will receive a star prize of ₦250,000, while the first and second runners-up will receive ₦150,000 and ₦100,000, respectively.

The competition was open to individuals aged 16 to 25, excluding relatives and staff of SMDS.

Social Media Digest Summit is a non-governmental organisation, working to promote the impactful and positive use of social media platforms by users.