Kaduna Rally: Youth Turnout Vindicates Our Mobilisation – City Boy Movement

The director-general of the City Boy Movement (CBM), Hon. Francis Oluwatosin Shoga, has said the massive turnout of young Nigerians at Saturday’s flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna vindicated the movement’s grassroots mobilisation efforts in support of President Bola Tinubu.

Shoga said the impressive youth participation reflected the growing interest among young Nigerians in the President’s development agenda and their desire to actively shape the country’s political and economic future.

In a reflection titled, “Beyond the Road: Unlocking Opportunities, Empowering Young Nigerians, and Building a Prosperous Future,” the CBM DG attributed the turnout partly to sustained grassroots engagements by the movement, including its mobilisation activities and street walk in Kano.

He said the movement was actively involved in engaging young Nigerians and grassroots supporters ahead of the campaign flag-off.

“The enthusiasm witnessed in Kaduna, alongside our grassroots engagement and street walk in Kano, reinforces our conviction that young Nigerians want to be part of a national conversation about development, opportunity, and a more prosperous Nigeria,” he said.

Shoga explained that the City Boy Movement’s activities went beyond mobilising electoral support for Tinubu, stressing that its mission also included educating and empowering young Nigerians to understand government policies and take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.

He commended the thousands of supporters who participated in the Kaduna rally and the movement’s mobilisation activities in Kano, describing their enthusiasm as an encouragement to its nationwide campaign efforts.

Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, Shoga said the movement would intensify its grassroots engagements across the country to educate young Nigerians about the administration’s reforms and encourage peaceful democratic participation.

He urged young Nigerians to assess the administration’s achievements and challenges, acquire relevant skills, embrace entrepreneurship and make informed political decisions.

“Our message is simple: Do not sit on the sidelines while decisions that will shape your future are being made. Get informed, get involved, and make your voice count,” he said.

Shoga also highlighted the economic significance of the commissioning of an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja–Kaduna highway during the campaign flag-off, describing the project as a demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to infrastructure development and economic growth in the North-West.

According to him, the strategic road corridor linking Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano could create opportunities for agricultural transformation, industrial expansion, regional trade, private investment and employment generation.

He said improved connectivity would help farmers, traders, transport operators and young entrepreneurs gain better access to markets, reduce transportation difficulties and attract investments in logistics, manufacturing and food processing.

“The objective is not simply to build infrastructure. It is to create the conditions in which people can build businesses, earn sustainable incomes, create jobs, and improve their standard of living,” he said.

However, Shoga stressed that infrastructure development must be complemented by sustained security operations, effective intelligence gathering, reliable electricity and investment-friendly policies to unlock the region’s full economic potential.

“A good road connects destinations. A secure road connects people to opportunity. Together, infrastructure and security can help unlock the economic potential of an entire region,” he said.

He reaffirmed the City Boy Movement’s commitment to building a generation of informed, enterprising and responsible young Nigerians, adding that the success of infrastructure development should ultimately be measured by the jobs, businesses and prosperity it creates for ordinary citizens.