ABUJA — The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has charged Nigerian youths to take ownership of the country’s development and security, saying the choices they make today will determine the future of Nigeria. Speaking at the National Youth Leadership and Security Dialogue organised by the Nigeria Police Force to mark International Youth Day 2026 under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” and the campaign “My Future Is Greater Than Political and Digital Thuggery,” the IGP said young people are not just beneficiaries of national development but critical stakeholders whose values and actions will shape the nation they inherit. “A Nigeria with educated, skilled, innovative and productive young people is a stronger Nigeria, while a Nigeria whose youths are manipulated into violence, criminality and hatred is a country that ultimately loses,” he stated.
The IGP warned youths against being recruited or manipulated into political violence and destructive digital behaviour, especially with the 2027 electoral cycle approaching. He urged them to reject criminality and instead embrace education, entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, leadership and service. “Your future is not yours alone. Your future is Nigeria’s future,” Disu said. “Political actors may eventually reconcile after elections, but the consequences suffered by young people who participate in violence can be permanent.” He challenged the next generation to choose peace over violence, innovation over destruction, and responsibility over criminality, adding: “You can choose to be used, or you can choose to lead.”
The Police chief stressed that securing Nigeria requires a partnership with youths as active collaborators in preventing violence, combating cybercrime, and promoting responsible digital citizenship. He called on young Nigerians to think beyond short-term political patronage and ensure history remembers them as builders, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, not instruments of violence. “I want history to remember this generation as the generation that refused to be used,” the IGP said. The Nigeria Police Force, he concluded, is calling on youths to take ownership of their communities and participate responsibly in democracy. “YOUR FUTURE IS NIGERIA’S FUTURE. Protect it. Build it. Own it.”
