By Momoh Achile
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, February 6, 2026, received a delegation from the Coalition of Nigerian Youths for Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA), a youth-led national organisation focused on promoting youth inclusion, peacebuilding, and national development through security advocacy and engagement.
The delegation, led by Mr. Abraham Kwaghfan, presented an overview of the coalition’s mandate, activities, and proposed areas of collaboration with the Ministry. They were received on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
Speaking during the visit, Mr. Kwaghfan explained that CONYSSA, established in 2019 and formally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2022, seeks to complement Nigeria’s security architecture by bridging the gap between youths and security institutions through advocacy, preventive interventions, and engagement.
He outlined several of the coalition’s initiatives, including nationwide youth security and value reorientation campaigns across the South-West, South-South, and North-West zones; security summits addressing drug abuse, cybercrime, human trafficking, extremism, and related social challenges; and youth-focused interventions aimed at addressing extortion and rights violations through mediation and recovery efforts.
He further disclosed that the coalition has engaged with institutions such as 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, with a proposed summit in Gombe State for the North-East.
The delegation also highlighted CONYSSA’s volunteer-driven structure and its grassroots network drawn from affiliated youth, civil society, and paramilitary-aligned organisations across the country.
As part of its request, CONYSSA sought partnership, support, and institutional guidance from the Ministry in youth engagement initiatives aligned with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives, particularly in the areas of demography and diaspora engagement. The group also expressed interest in structured engagement with Nigerian youths in the diaspora to address welfare, image, and security-related concerns.
In his response, Mr. Ebienfa commended the coalition for its youth-centered security initiatives and clarified the Ministry’s mandate, especially regarding consular services and diaspora engagement. He noted that Nigerian Missions abroad are responsible for providing consular assistance to citizens in host countries, while the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission works closely with Nigerians overseas who require support.
He advised the delegation to liaise with the Ministry for guidance and coordination when necessary and encouraged them to formally submit detailed proposals for their planned programmes in the North-East for internal review and consideration.
The engagement underscored the increasing role of organised youth groups in addressing security, social orientation, and national image concerns. CONYSSA’s activities, the Ministry noted, broadly align with Nigeria’s foreign policy pillars on demography and diaspora engagement.
The Ministry indicated that, subject to due diligence and formal submission of proposals, structured collaboration with the coalition could strengthen outreach to Nigerian youths at home and abroad, enhance preventive engagement, and contribute to national security and image-building efforts within the framework of its statutory mandate.
