The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has underscored the growing importance of youth-led organisations in national security and image-building efforts, following a high-level engagement with the Coalition of Nigerian Youths for Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA).
The Ministry received the CONYSSA delegation on Friday, with the group outlining its nationwide initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between Nigerian youths and security institutions through advocacy, preventive interventions, and value reorientation.
Led by Mr. Abraham Kwaghfan, a senior national official of the coalition, the delegation presented an overview of CONYSSA’s mandate, operational structure, and areas of proposed collaboration with the Ministry. They were received by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
Mr. Kwaghfan disclosed that CONYSSA was founded in 2019 and formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2022. He explained that the coalition was established to complement Nigeria’s national security architecture by mobilising youths as critical stakeholders in peacebuilding, security awareness, and social stability.
According to him, the coalition has implemented youth security and value-reorientation campaigns across the South-West, South-South, and North-West zones, alongside security summits addressing drug abuse, cybercrime, human trafficking, extremism, and other social vices. He added that CONYSSA has also intervened in cases of youth extortion and rights violations involving security agencies, mediating disputes and facilitating the recovery of funds.
The delegation noted that the coalition maintains active engagement with security institutions, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission, and plans to expand its programmes to the North-East, South-East, and North-Central zones. A North-East security summit has been proposed for Gombe State.
Highlighting its volunteer-driven model, CONYSSA said it draws grassroots manpower from affiliated youth organisations, spanning both paramilitary-aligned groups and civil society organisations nationwide.
The coalition formally requested the Ministry’s partnership and institutional support, particularly in youth engagement initiatives aligned with Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities on demography and diaspora engagement. It also sought collaboration in structured engagement with Nigerian youths in the diaspora to address welfare, security, and national image concerns.
Responding, Mr. Ebienfa commended CONYSSA’s youth-focused security interventions and clarified the Ministry’s statutory mandate, especially regarding consular services and diaspora engagement. He explained that Nigerian Missions abroad are responsible for consular services to citizens in host countries, while the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission serves as a key interface for Nigerians in distress overseas.
He advised the delegation to liaise with the Ministry whenever guidance or coordination is required and requested the formal submission of detailed proposals, particularly for planned programmes in the North-East, to enable internal review and appropriate guidance.
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The engagement highlighted the expanding role of organised youth groups in addressing security challenges, social orientation, and Nigeria’s international image. Observers note that CONYSSA’s activities align with Nigeria’s foreign policy pillars on demography and diaspora engagement.
Subject to due diligence and formal proposal submissions, structured collaboration with CONYSSA could strengthen the Ministry’s outreach to Nigerian youths at home and abroad, enhance preventive security engagement, and contribute to national security and image-building within existing institutional frameworks.
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