Stakeholders have called on African youths to take a leading role in promoting peace, unity and sustainable development across the continent following the launch of the African Youth Peace Corps (AYPC) in Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, former Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Dr. Sunday Attah, said African youths should be regarded as valuable assets capable of driving the continent’s transformation rather than as challenges to be managed.
Attah noted that Africa’s youthful population represents a major demographic advantage that can be leveraged to address challenges such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity, violent extremism, cybercrime, drug abuse and social exclusion.
According to him, young people possess the creativity, resilience and innovation needed to shape the future of the continent and contribute meaningfully to peace and development.
He stressed that sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace, describing peace as a condition that guarantees justice, inclusion, dignity, opportunity and hope for all citizens.
The former defence official urged African youths to become ambassadors of peace, reconciliation and social cohesion in their communities and across national boundaries.
The event also featured the formal unveiling of the African Youth Peace Corps, a continental initiative established to nurture a new generation of young leaders committed to peacebuilding and development.
Convener and Continental Coordinator-General of AYPC, Ambassador Abdulwaheed Odewale, said the organisation would implement a range of programmes targeted at empowering young people and strengthening peace initiatives across Africa.
He listed the initiatives to include School Peace Clubs, Community Peace Initiatives, Youth Leadership Academies, Digital Literacy Programmes, Environmental Sustainability Campaigns, Interfaith Dialogue Platforms and Volunteer Service Schemes.
Odewale said the programmes are designed to equip young Africans with leadership skills, civic values and practical knowledge required to address contemporary challenges while promoting responsible citizenship.
He emphasized that lasting peace can only thrive in societies where justice, inclusion, dialogue and respect for diversity are upheld.
The AYPC coordinator further called on young Africans to reject terrorism, violent extremism, hate speech, ethnic and religious intolerance, criminality and drug abuse, while embracing innovation, entrepreneurship, patriotism and peaceful coexistence.
He said the organisation would collaborate with governments, traditional rulers, faith-based groups, educational institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to advance its objectives.
Delivering a goodwill message, member of the AYPC Governing Council and Founder of the IFP World Family Initiative, Ambassador Queen Hadassah Ibinyingi Allaputa, underscored the importance of inner peace in building stable and prosperous societies.
She urged young Africans to embrace unity, service and shared responsibility, noting that the continent’s diversity should be viewed as a source of strength rather than division.
The launch coincided with the 2026 International Day of the African Child and attracted representatives of government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, youth groups and members of the diplomatic community.
Other speakers at the event included Dr. Khadija Abdullahi Iya, Dr. Maimuna Sheila Salim, Dr. Gbenga Oni and Dr. Ahmed Abdul Yusuf, who all emphasized the need for greater youth participation in peacebuilding and nation-building efforts across Africa.