Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu backs Jamie Pajoel int’l 2026 youth leadership convention

Jamie Pajoel International (JPI), a global youth leadership organisation, paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu Ph.D, CFR, in Abuja, reaffirming a shared commitment to building systems that prepare young Nigerians to lead at home and on the global stage.

The delegation was introduced by Sandra Njoku Samuel, Media and Communication Strategist to the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, and Vice President of the Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) Abuja Chapter. She expressed gratitude to the Deputy Speaker for receiving the team and for his openness to engage platforms that are intentionally shaping young leaders across Nigeria. She described the visit as a powerful signal to the next generation about what leadership, mentorship and genuine support look like in practice before inviting the Founder and Global President of Jamie Pajoel International (JPI), Dr. Jamie Pajoel, to speak.

Dr. Jamie Pajoel reflected on his personal journey, explaining that twenty years ago he began an intentional process of self discovery that transformed his life and led to the establishment of a platform dedicated to helping young people find their voice and path. Today, Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) has grown into a global leadership organisation present in thirty states across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, and active in fifteen countries.

He recalled that in 2023, Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) selected and sponsored twenty seven young people to a leadership conference in Kigali, Rwanda, providing full support from international flights to accommodation and field activities. The programme focused on leadership development, entrepreneurship and personal growth for emerging leaders, reflecting the organisation’s commitment not only to training but to giving young people access to global opportunities. Dr. Pajoel also noted that the African Union had recognised his work in 2014 and that he was invited in 2018 to meet President Bill Clinton and his wife, acknowledgements that underscored the wider impact of the vision he carries.

He reiterated that the mission of Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) is to build a platform that does more than inspire. The goal is to prepare young leaders for offices and responsibilities, whether in public service, enterprise or social impact, and to create a serious annual convention that gathers young leaders from multiple countries to learn, connect and build. Standing beside him, the National President of Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) Nigeria, Mr. Michael Chizota, reinforced this message by describing Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) as a structured youth leadership organisation with a proven track record rather than an informal motivational gathering.

Mr. Michael Chizota highlighted that since 2009, Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) has reached large numbers of young people through conferences, state chapters and leadership training, has sponsored several young Nigerians to international conferences and has supported youth led initiatives across all thirty six states and the Federal Capital Territory. He explained that the JPI Youth Leadership Convention holding in Abuja on March 28 and 29, 2026, will host young leaders, professionals and changemakers from within and outside Africa, and will address critical issues such as youth unemployment and underemployment, access to opportunities, enterprise development, social innovation and practical leadership.

According to him, the sessions at the 2026 convention are being designed to provide participants with knowledge, mentorship and networks that help them move forward in their careers, businesses and personal development. He emphasised that the overarching vision is to build young people who are responsible, productive and able to contribute meaningfully to national development. He added that Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) is intentional about creating an environment where young people can learn from experienced leaders across sectors including business, public service, social impact, technology, real estate, agriculture, education, health and the creative industries.

In his response, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, situated the visit within a larger national and continental context. He stated that the courtesy visit was more than protocol; it represented a convergence of shared commitment between government, civil society and a rising generation of Nigerians whose strength, creativity and resilience will define the next fifty years of the nation. He noted that Nigeria is at a defining moment where its greatest opportunities and responsibilities are anchored in the future of its youth and that long term national strength will depend on how young people are equipped, not only as beneficiaries of policy but as architects of change.

The Deputy Speaker stressed that in a rapidly changing world, Nigeria’s future rests less on natural resources and more on the quality of its human capital. He drew attention to demographic realities, explaining that by 2030 young people will make up almost seventy percent of Nigeria’s population, placing the country among the three youngest nations in the world. By 2050, Nigeria is projected to become the third most populous country globally, with Africa holding forty two percent of the world’s youth population and Nigeria positioned at the centre of that shift.

He underlined that within the ongoing Constitution Review process, which he chairs, youth inclusion is a structural priority and not a peripheral conversation. For the first time, “Youth Participation and Empowerment” has been identified as one of the thematic pillars guiding the review. The Deputy Speaker explained that the process has been intentionally opened to youth groups, student bodies, innovation hubs and young civic actors across the country, ensuring that their voices are treated as central contributions to Nigeria’s future architecture rather than as footnotes.

Through this process, he said, proposals are being examined to deepen youth access to public leadership, expand representation, enhance educational and digital rights and strengthen the civic frameworks that allow young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in governance. He referenced the success of the “Not Too Young To Run” amendment as proof of what is possible when young people engage the constitution directly and stated that this review cycle aims to go even further by strengthening the foundations upon which a new generation will lead Nigeria into a more competitive, secure and prosperous future.

The Deputy Speaker also acknowledged the upcoming 10th edition of the JPI Youth Leadership Convention scheduled for March 28, 2026, in Abuja, which is expected to host over three thousand delegates from twenty countries. He described a forum of that scale as a statement about Nigeria’s central role in the global youth development conversation and as a declaration that Nigeria is emerging as a continental hub for leadership excellence, entrepreneurial ambition and youth driven innovation.

He welcomed the chosen theme of his keynote address at the convention, “Empowering the Next Generation: The Role of Youth in Nation Building,” noting that it aligns closely with the policy direction of the 10th House of Representatives. He emphasised that nation building is a collective responsibility rather than the exclusive work of political actors and that young people, with their digital dexterity, problem solving instincts, capacity for reinvention and resilience, are indispensable to the architecture of modern governance and economic transformation.

Beyond legislation, the Deputy Speaker spoke about his deliberate engagement with the innovation landscape across Nigeria, including visits to hubs in Enugu State and his participation at SMFest Abuja and the Legislative Mentorship Initiative. He shared experiences of meeting young Nigerians building artificial intelligence tools, fintech systems and digital content enterprises that rival global standards. He reiterated his conviction that Nigeria is not short of talent but short of platforms, adding that youth development is a national mission, not a slogan.

He explained that his office is expanding partnerships with universities, innovation clusters, tech incubators, youth parliaments, development agencies and civil society organisations. Through youth summits, constituency dialogues, digital inclusion campaigns and governance accountability forums, thousands of young Nigerians have been engaged on national security, economic diversification, constitution reform and the future of work. He described these engagements as part of a coordinated strategy to build a generation that is globally competitive, digitally capable and economically empowered, insisting that investing in Nigerian youth is equivalent to investing in the future stability and global relevance of the republic.

The Deputy Speaker thanked Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) for the work it is doing for young people and for choosing Nigeria, and Abuja in particular, as the platform for a global leadership conversation that will shape the next decade. He expressed hope that the engagement would lay the foundation for deeper and more impactful partnerships that strengthen Nigerian youth and the future of the nation.

Jamie Pajoel International (JPI) expressed appreciation to the Deputy Speaker for his time, his openness and his clear commitment to youth inclusion, and reaffirmed its dedication to working with government and partners to ensure that the JPI Youth Leadership Convention 2026 becomes a catalytic moment for young Nigerians and for the continent.