The Chairman, House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam, has said that the future of Africa depends on the quality of values and vision being instilled in its children today.
Salam said this ahead of the 2025 National Children’s Leadership Conference (NCLC) organized by the Children of Africa Leadership and Values Development Initiative (CALDEV) in Abuja.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Salam said the event, a flagship programme of CALDEV, will be held from Monday, November 17 to Friday, November 21, 2025, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Represented by Chairman of the Planning Committee for NCLC 2025, Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, Salam announced that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, are among the dignitaries expected to grace the conference.
Other dignitaries expected at the four-day event include Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Citizens and Leadership Center, Miss Rinsola Abiola.
Rep. Salam said the forthcoming conference, themed “The Role of Children in Nation Building: Digitally Smart, Socially Responsible,” will empower young Africans with leadership skills, digital literacy, and a deep sense of social responsibility.
He said that the 2025 edition will bring together over 400 participants between the ages of 13 and 19 from across the continent for an extraordinary experience of learning, leadership, and community development.
The grand finale of the conference will coincide with Universal Children’s Day on November 20, symbolizing CALDEV’s commitment to advancing the rights and voices of children as active contributors to nation-building.
This year’s edition will also expand its reach to include participants from Zambia, Gambia, Uganda, and Ghana, promoting unity, collaboration, and cultural exchange among African children and youth.
The conference will feature a series of engaging and transformative sessions, including a book launch titled The Power of a Teenager: 50 Ways to Inspire Change, authored by Rep. Bamidele Salam; a children’s parliamentary session that will allow participants to showcase their legislative and leadership skills; and a variety of breakout sessions focused on digital skills such as artificial intelligence, video editing, graphics design, and the use of Microsoft Office tools.
Other highlights will include public speaking training, community problem-solving challenges, outdoor exercises, and excursions to the National Assembly and its library, as well as the inspiring “Leader in the Making” segment.
A major highlight of the conference will be the Early Achievers Awards Ceremony, which recognizes outstanding children who have demonstrated excellence, creativity, and leadership in various fields.
Participants will also receive certificates, gifts, and prizes in celebration of their commitment to personal and collective growth.
Rep. Salam emphasized that CALDEV is driven by the belief that “the future of Africa lies in the quality of values and vision we instill in our children today.”
He reaffirmed CALDEV’s mission to nurture a generation of digitally empowered, socially conscious, and ethically grounded young Africans who will take responsibility for building a prosperous and united continent.
He said four exceptional young individuals would receive the Distinguished CALDEV Africa Early Achievers Award at this year’s conference.
He explained that the honourees, drawn from different parts of Nigeria, include tech innovators and young leaders who have excelled in various fields at a tender age.
Salam said their stories were inspiring examples of the potential and creativity that children possess when given the right opportunities.
Programme Partner and Director of Safe Africa, Amina Abubakar, described the National Children’s Leadership Conference as a unique initiative in Nigeria and across West Africa.
Abubakar, who is the organising committee of NCLC, said the programme not only instills leadership values in children but also gives them the opportunity to experience firsthand what it means to be parliamentarians and policymakers.
According to her, the conference helps to shape their mindset from a young age, encouraging them to be socially responsible and to grow up with the desire to make positive change.
Abubakar said the need for children’s empowerment could not be overemphasized, noting that CALDEV had, over the years, given children the tools, confidence, and opportunity to lead.
She explained that the National Children Leadership Conference has grown into the largest gathering of children in Africa, offering a platform for them to learn, express themselves, and build the digital and leadership skills needed to shape the future.
Programme Officer of CALDEV, Toromade Faderera, said this year’s edition of the National Children Leadership Conference was expanding its reach with more partners and stakeholders coming on board.
She noted that the organizations recognized the importance of the event and its life-changing impact on children. She added that the initiative deserved to be celebrated because it directly empowers participants and gives them a platform to express themselves.
Faderera said the overwhelming number of applications from across Nigeria showed how much children valued the opportunity to be part of the initiative.
She noted that the conference helps children to be seen, heard, and appreciated, adding that many now want to move from being passive observers to active contributors to positive change within their communities.
The National Children Leadership Conference (NCLC), launched in 2021, provides children across Africa with a platform to express their ideas, showcase their potential, and participate meaningfully in leadership and governance.
Over the past three years, it has inspired and empowered children to take initiative, celebrate their achievements, and contribute to the progress of their communities and the continent.
Delegates from the Federal Ministry of Youth, stakeholders from the House of Representatives, representatives of NGOs, MDAs, and development partners are also expected to attend.
Founded in 2015 by Rep Bamidele Salam, CALDEV is a non-governmental organization committed to mentoring, training, and developing the leadership capacity of children to become social change agents.
It advocates for a strong education system and the protection of children’s rights, recognizing them as vital stakeholders in Africa’s development.
