A surge in the crowd disrupted the distribution of empowerment items at the Renewed Hope South-East Youth Tour on Saturday in erri”], Imo State, which was organised by the City Boy Movement.
Despite the disruption, the group described the two-day programme as a success, highlighting the strong turnout of youths, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and other stakeholders from across the South-East region.
In a statement released on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the movement, Emana-Amawhe, said the programme was aimed at engaging young Nigerians on governance and economic opportunities under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Tinubu.
The statement noted that the event began with a policy summit that brought together youth leaders, policy experts, entrepreneurs, and public officials to discuss governance, enterprise development, and access to finance. The summit also explored the role of young Nigerians in driving national development and participating actively in economic growth.
“The summit created a valuable platform for dialogue, ideas exchange and engagement on opportunities available to young Nigerians to participate more actively in economic growth and nation-building,” the statement read.
The second day featured an empowerment rally attended by thousands of youths who came to support the government’s development agenda and participate in initiatives aimed at promoting youth enterprise.
However, distribution of empowerment items was disrupted when the crowd surged toward the designated distribution area, breaching the barricades set up to coordinate the exercise.
“As the enthusiasm of the large crowd surged toward the designated distribution area, the barricades were breached, and the remaining empowerment items were accessed by members of the crowd before the structured distribution could be concluded,” Ambrose-Amawhe said.
He added that attempts to portray the incident negatively were misleading and did not reflect the overall success of the event. The large turnout, he noted, demonstrated strong interest among young Nigerians in empowerment initiatives and growing support for government programmes.
The City Boy Movement reaffirmed its commitment to youth engagement, empowerment initiatives, and grassroots participation in national development, noting that the response from young people in Owerri highlighted the critical role youths play in shaping Nigeria’s future.
The group is one of several youth-based organisations supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and promoting participation in policies under the Renewed Hope