Building a Drug-Free Future: Youth Leaders Set to Converge in Ibadan for 21st Century Youth Leadership Summit

The future of youth leadership in Nigeria will take centre stage in Ibadan on Friday, October 9, 2026, as about 1,000 students are expected to gather for the 21st Century Youth Leadership Summit, an initiative designed to inspire young Nigerians to make healthy choices, find their voices and take responsibility for building a drug-free society.

Organised by Productivity Boosters, Learn & Lead and The Good Boys Project, the summit will hold at the House of Chiefs Auditorium, Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

With the theme, “Healthy Choices, Strong Voices: Youth Leadership for a Drug-Free Nigeria,” the summit comes at a critical time when young people are increasingly being challenged to navigate difficult social pressures while making decisions that can shape the course of their education, careers and communities.

Rather than presenting students merely as beneficiaries of social interventions, the organisers are positioning them as active stakeholders and emerging leaders capable of influencing positive change among their peers and across society.

The programme will bring together accomplished professionals, community leaders and youth advocates who are expected to engage participants on leadership, productivity, personal development, health and responsible decision-making.

Among the featured speakers is Temitope Ajibola, described as a Generational Architect, Leader, Builder, Inventor and Author.

Also speaking is Dr. Adeleye Johnson Adedokun, Chairman of the National Association of Doctors, University Health Services, Oyo State, whose participation is expected to bring an important health perspective to conversations around youth wellbeing and drug prevention.

Another speaker, Afatakpa Efetobore, is the CEO of The Dreamers Youth Network, bringing a youth-development perspective to the summit. The event will be convened by Afatakpa Fortune, PhD, FIPMA, a team leader with Productivity Boosters.

The convener, a University Don at the Department of Peace, Security and Humanitarian Studies, University of Ibadan also called on well meaning Nigerians to support the initiative.

At the heart of the summit is a simple but powerful message: leadership begins with personal choices.

For many of the students expected to attend, the summit will provide an opportunity to interact with role models, ask questions and gain practical insights into how they can become more productive, resilient and responsible young leaders.

The organisers believe that empowering young people with knowledge, confidence and a strong sense of purpose can help them resist negative influences and make decisions that contribute positively to their families, schools and communities.

The gathering is therefore expected to go beyond speeches, creating an atmosphere where students can connect, learn and rethink their role in shaping Nigeria’s future.

As approximately 1,000 students prepare to converge on the Oyo State House of Assembly Complex, the 21st Century Youth Leadership Summit promises to be a significant youth-focused gathering in Ibadan—one aimed at transforming conversations about drugs, health and leadership into a renewed call for responsible choices and stronger voices among Nigeria’s next generation.