On October 19, 2025, Mubarak Mijinyawa, a Fellow of the Emerging Political Leaders Fellowship (EPLF), convened a transformative civic engagement initiative, the Emerging Political Leaders Conference. The conference brought together aspiring leaders, young politicians, and governance enthusiasts for an engaging conversation on political participation, mentorship, and strategy.
With two dynamic sessions streamed live on Facebook, the conference recorded over 2,600 cumulative views, 235 likes, and 27 comments and shares within 24 hours. The strong online participation demonstrated the growing interest of young Nigerians in conversations about governance and leadership.
Key Outcomes
The conference successfully advanced the objectives of civic awareness, mentorship, and political inclusion among emerging leaders. Over 1,000 participants joined both live and recorded sessions, gaining valuable insights on political participation, strategy, and the responsibilities of emerging leaders. The event created a vibrant platform for open dialogue between young leaders and experienced politicians, fostering an honest exchange of ideas on governance challenges and possible solutions.
One of the major highlights of the conference was the discussion on “Politics Without Bitterness”, which inspired participants to approach political engagement with tolerance, civility, and strategic thinking rather than emotion or rivalry. Participants also learned practical tools on sustaining mentorship, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and contesting elections as minorities or in less popular political parties. By the end of the sessions, many youth participants had renewed their commitment to remain persistent yet strategic in their political journeys, seeking mentorship, coalition building, and continuous learning opportunities to strengthen their leadership pursuits.
Lessons Learnt
Several key insights emerged from the deliberations and participant feedback. The discussions revealed a significant gap between civil society organizations and local communities, emphasizing the need for continuous civic engagement at the grassroots level. It became evident that many aspiring politicians often lack mentorship and strategic guidance, which contributes to their limited success in political contests.
The conference also highlighted that political parties in Nigeria often operate with opaque or influence-driven candidate selection processes, where money, connections, and patronage sometimes outweigh merit and competence. This reality reinforces the need for value-based leadership and structured mentorship to ensure fairer participation. Another critical observation was that many communities remain largely disengaged from the political process, resulting in apathy and weakened accountability structures.
Furthermore, the discussions underscored the importance of structured leadership and political training programs such as the EPLF, SPPGS, PYMR, and LMI. These programs are essential for building a new generation of informed, strategic, and ethical political actors who understand how to navigate complex governance systems and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Next Steps
To sustain the impact of the conference and translate its lessons into concrete progress, Mubarak and his team proposed a series of follow-up actions. They plan to organize quarterly retreats and review sessions where participants can share their progress, experiences, and challenges in applying the knowledge gained during the conference. This will help maintain accountability and continuous learning among emerging leaders.
The conference report will also be shared with civil society organizations and pressure groups in Gombe State to encourage partnership and collaboration on civic and political engagement initiatives. Beyond this, Mubarak emphasized the need for continuous leadership and mentorship programs that equip aspiring politicians with strategic tools for effective participation and governance.
Looking ahead, there are plans to institutionalize the Emerging Political Leaders Conference as a recurring civic engagement platform. By doing so, it will foster sustained dialogue between political stakeholders and emerging leaders, ensuring that the conversation on inclusive governance and youth participation remains alive and active across communities.
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