The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has urged youths in Enugu State to disregard the belief that federal government jobs and other opportunities are already allocated before they are publicly advertised.

The Commission said fear, misinformation and lack of information were preventing many young people from applying for legitimate opportunities, urging them to prepare themselves and compete whenever such opportunities arise.

The FCC Executive Chairman, Hon. Hulayât Motunrayo Omidiran, gave the charge on Thursday at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, during the Peter Eze Enugu Youth Connect 2026, themed, “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission.”

Declaring the event open, the Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, also challenged the youths to prepare themselves for opportunities, stressing that government could open doors but individuals must have the capacity to walk through them.

Onyia said young people should no longer be regarded merely as “leaders of tomorrow,” noting that they were already playing important roles in the development of society.

He urged the youths to acquire knowledge, develop relevant skills, build competitive curricula vitae and take advantage of opportunities to improve themselves.

According to him, opportunities would not always be available to people who were unprepared, making preparation essential for success in a competitive environment.

The SSG also emphasised the importance of confidence and self-knowledge, urging the youths to understand their strengths and continually seek ways to improve their circumstances.

He said while government had a responsibility to create an enabling environment for young people to learn and apply their skills, the youths must also take responsibility for preparing for opportunities when they arise.

Onyia commended the organisers of the programme, saying initiatives that connect young people with credible opportunities were important to the development of Enugu State.

In her keynote address, Omidiran said the Federal Character principle should go beyond numerical representation to ensure that qualified Nigerians had a fair opportunity to participate meaningfully in national development.

She urged Enugu youths to acquire relevant skills, embrace technology and actively pursue legitimate opportunities, stressing that equity and merit must work together in building a progressive society.

The FCC chairman said an opportunity might open a door, but competence, character and performance would determine how far an individual could advance.

She also warned youths against fraudulent recruitment schemes and deceptive offers, urging them to authenticate opportunities before applying.

Omidiran charged the youths to “dream boldly, prepare intelligently, work diligently, lead responsibly and serve selflessly,” while encouraging them to think nationally and compete globally.

Earlier, the FCC Commissioner representing Enugu State, Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, said the programme was organised to bridge the information gap preventing many young people from accessing employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships, training and other legitimate opportunities.

Eze said there were more than 700 Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions and other establishments providing employment and other opportunities across the country.

He explained that the FCC had the constitutional responsibility to promote equitable representation and ensure that federal institutions complied with the principles of federal character.

According to him, many Enugu youths had failed to pursue available opportunities because of the erroneous belief that federal jobs had already been shared or given to people before public advertisement.

He urged them not to allow such assumptions to discourage them from applying.

“No player has ever won a football match outside the pitch. You can barely get an opportunity you do not apply for,” Eze said.

He warned that nobody should pay for a legitimate government job, adding that anyone demanding money in exchange for federal employment should be reported through the appropriate channels.

“You do not need to buy a job; you need to prepare yourself,” he said.

Eze said the Peter Eze Youth Connect initiative was designed to connect young people with credible information, institutions and opportunities rather than create dependence on godfathers and middlemen.

He said the initiative would expose participants to opportunities in federal employment, grants, scholarships, fellowships, training programmes, entrepreneurship and other areas of personal and economic advancement.

He disclosed that a full scholarship opportunity would be offered through the programme, with five participants to be selected.

Eze said his vision was to make the programme a continuing platform through which information about opportunities would reach young people across Enugu State.

“If I know that something can change the life of a young person from Enugu State, I believe that the young person should hear about it. If I can open a door, I should open it. If I can connect someone to the right person, I should make the connection,” he said.

He urged participants to become “ambassadors of opportunity” by sharing useful information and helping others benefit from opportunities they discover.

The commissioner said true empowerment was not about merely handing people assistance and taking photographs, but about providing them with the knowledge, skills, information, access and opportunities required to stand on their own and build sustainable futures.

He called on the youths to improve their CVs, acquire relevant skills and remain prepared for opportunities, noting that technology and the job market were constantly changing.

The event brought together youths and stakeholders from across Enugu State to deepen understanding of the Federal Character Commission’s mandate, federal representation and pathways to employment, education, skills development and other opportunities.

The organisers said the initiative was founded on the conviction that a young person cannot pursue an opportunity they do not know exists, with the broader vision of producing informed, confident and opportunity-ready youths capable of competing and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.