President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged youths to put national interest above personal ambition to drive the country’s development.
Gbajabiamila made the call in a goodwill message to participants at the 2026 National Retreat of the City Boy Movement, themed “Youth, Unity and Action.”
His remarks came amid the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s probe of the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) linked to him.
The presidency, through the Chief of Staff and other presidential aides, has denied that PFIPC is a recognised government agency and described it as non‑existent despite its appearance in Nigeria’s 2026 budget.
Gbajabiamila had earlier asked security agencies to investigate the council’s alleged self-styled Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, and other collaborators over “forged” documents linked to PFIPC.
At the retreat, Gbajabiamila said Nigeria’s future would depend on young people willing to place service above self and sacrifice above personal comfort.
“No nation rises above the quality of its youth. Every generation’s destiny is shaped by its willingness to embrace responsibility, uphold unity, and turn vision into action. The future we seek will not arrive by chance; it will be built deliberately by men and women who choose service over self, sacrifice over comfort, and nation over narrow interest,” he said.
Gbajabiamila added that the Tinubu administration had confronted long-standing structural challenges through reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the foreign exchange market and tax reforms.
“These bold reforms are steadily restoring economic stability, with inflation easing and renewed investor confidence in the Nigerian economy. Alongside them, deliberate investment in infrastructure, human capital, and youth empowerment — through initiatives such as expanded student loans and the drive to equip millions of young Nigerians with technical skills — is opening real opportunity for the next generation. These are the early dividends of reforms designed not for short-term applause, but for lasting national renewal,” he was quoted to have said
He also praised the Patron and National Leader of the City Boy Movement, Barrister Seyi Tinubu, for his commitment to youth development.
“His commitment to nurturing a disciplined, purpose-driven generation of young leaders reflects the very best of the Renewed Hope ideal, and the strength of the City Boy Movement today owes much to his guidance and personal example.”
According to him, the retreat’s theme captures the values required to advance Nigeria’s development.
He said youth represents innovation, courage and resilience, while unity enables Nigeria’s diversity to become a source of strength, adding that meaningful progress can only come when ideas are translated into concrete action.
Gbajabiamila urged members of the City Boy Movement to build bridges across communities, promote peaceful engagement and inspire confidence among young Nigerians through responsible leadership.
The event comes as ICPC and police continue investigations into the alleged PFIPC scandal.
President Tinubu had last week ordered the anti-graft to investigate the activities of the council.
The controversy deepened after Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of collecting N400m through a proxy to facilitate his appointment as head of the council and later demanding an additional N200m. Gbajabiamila denied the allegation and insisted he never played any role in securing the alleged appointment.
On Wednesday, the Senate declined to open a separate probe into the controversial N1.3bn allocation to the PFIPC in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
It opted to await the outcome of the ICPC investigation ordered by the president.
On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest after he failed to appear for arraignment on charges bordering on forgery and impersonation. He was later arrested by operatives of the intelligence response team in Osun State.
