A youth-focused initiative, the Critical National Assets Infrastructure Protection (CNAIP) Youth Initiative, has announced plans to convene a nationwide summit aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s critical infrastructure.
The initiative, a flagship programme of the Organisation of West Africa Youth (OWAY), ECOWAS, disclosed this in a statement signed by its Convener, Ambassador Aniefiok Jimmy, Special Envoy on Sustainable Development and Nation-Building.
According to the statement, the maiden CNAIP Youth Summit 2026 is scheduled to hold from June 15 to June 17, 2026, at the NAF Conference Centre, Jahi, Abuja.
It is described as Nigeria’s first national youth-led summit dedicated to the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure.
The summit details were unveiled following a high-level roundtable in Abuja attended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of OWAY, Hon. Uyero Erarawewho Jnr.
Jimmy said the summit would serve as a platform to formally launch the CNAIP Youth Initiative, which comprises four integrated programme components aimed at transforming Nigeria’s youth population into trained and recognised protectors of national infrastructure.
He noted that Nigeria’s critical infrastructure is currently under threat from both physical destruction and cyberattacks. Citing recent data, he said the national electricity grid collapsed 12 times in 2024, while the Transmission Company of Nigeria spent ₦8.8 billion repairing vandalised transmission towers.
He added that oil production declined by 27.4 per cent due to pipeline sabotage, while over 50,000 telecom infrastructure vandalism cases were recorded. Cybercrime losses were estimated at over $500 million, with annual power sector disruptions exceeding $29 billion.
Jimmy attributed the situation to what he described as a structural gap, noting that over 64 million Nigerian youths—many of whom live close to critical infrastructure—have not been formally engaged or empowered as protectors.
“The CNAIP Youth Initiative is designed to change that by positioning young people as key stakeholders in national asset protection,” he said.
He explained that the initiative seeks to operationalise Nigeria’s 2024 Critical National Assets and Infrastructure National Protection Policy and Strategy (CNAI-NPPS), as well as the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Executive Order, at the grassroots level.
The four core components of the initiative include an annual national summit, a nationwide public awareness campaign, a youth volunteer scheme comprising physical and cyber protection units, and the Reform, Equip and Empower (REE) programme for at-risk youth.
The three-day summit is expected to attract over 1,000 participants, including government officials, security agency representatives, youth leaders, private sector stakeholders, civil society organisations, development partners, and delegates from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Planned activities for the summit include policy dialogues, keynote sessions on infrastructure protection frameworks, panel discussions on youth and national security, technical workshops, and the official launch of the CNAIP Youth Volunteer Scheme and REE programme.
Jimmy emphasised the importance of redefining the role of young people in national development.
“We have spent years telling young people what not to do. The CNAIP Youth Initiative shows them what they can do. Nigeria’s youth are not a threat to national infrastructure; they are its most valuable and widespread line of defence,” he said.
The CNAIP Youth Initiative is described as Nigeria’s first non-governmental, youth-led platform focused on critical national asset and infrastructure protection, with planned implementation across all states and the Federal Capital Territory.
