—EXCLUSIVE PROFILE—
BY OGENE ROMANUS CHIZOBA
As anticipation builds ahead of the maiden edition of Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026, one of the personalities expected to command attention at the landmark youth engagement is the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who will serve as the keynote speaker at the event.
The programme, convened by the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State at the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. prompt, at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu.
With the theme, “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission,” the event is designed to create a direct platform for young people to understand and explore opportunities available through government institutions and other sectors.
The choice of Hon. Omidiran as keynote speaker adds considerable significance to the engagement, particularly given her position at the helm of the Federal Character Commission and her extensive experience spanning legislative affairs, public administration, sports governance, grassroots mobilisation and women's development.
As the official responsible for leading the FCC, Omidiran occupies a strategic position in Nigeria's institutional framework for promoting fairness, equity and balanced representation in the distribution of public service opportunities and other federal engagements across the country.
Her keynote address is therefore expected to provide a broader perspective on the event's central message moving the conversation beyond the issue of quotas to examine how young Nigerians can better understand, identify and position themselves for opportunities within the national system.
For participants at Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026, her experience in both legislative and executive leadership is expected to bring practical dimensions to discussions around inclusion, access, career development and youth participation in national affairs.
The event is anticipated to attract students, graduates, entrepreneurs, job seekers, professionals and young aspiring leaders from across Enugu State, with conversations expected to touch on employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships, internships, entrepreneurship, digital opportunities, skills development and career advancement.
The organisers believe that many young people possess the talent, qualifications and ambition required to succeed but are sometimes disadvantaged by inadequate information about available opportunities and how to access them.
Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026 is consequently being positioned as a bridge between young people's aspirations and the information, institutions and networks capable of helping them turn those aspirations into tangible outcomes.
Meet Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran
Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran is a distinguished public servant, former legislator and sports administrator who currently serves as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission.
Appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sworn into office in January 2026, she succeeded Dr. Muheeba Dankaka and assumed responsibility for leading the constitutional body charged with promoting the Federal Character Principle.
Before her appointment to the FCC, Omidiran served two consecutive terms in the Nigerian House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, representing the Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency of Osun State.
During her eight years in the National Assembly, she participated in several important House committees and legislative assignments, including committees covering FCT Judiciary, Commerce, Health, Police, Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, National Security and Intelligence, and Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values.
She also served as Chairman of the South-West Legislators Forum, providing strategic leadership and coordination among lawmakers from the geopolitical zone.
Beyond Nigeria's legislative space, Omidiran has an impressive record in international sports administration. She made history as the first Nigerian woman to serve on a FIFA Committee, participating in the organising structure for the FIFA U-17 and U-20 Women's World Cups.
Her involvement in football administration dates back to her grassroots work, including founding and managing Omidiran Babes FC, a women's football club that competed in the Nigerian Female Football League and provided a platform for developing female football talent.
She also serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, where she contributes to sports governance and policy aimed at strengthening Nigeria's performance on the international sporting stage.
Omidiran has equally represented Nigeria at international parliamentary and women's leadership forums, including the Global Forum of Women Political Leaders and the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States, further expanding her experience in international engagement and diplomacy.
Academically, she holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she also demonstrated early leadership as Secretary of Queen Amina Hall's Student Union Government. She subsequently completed the National Youth Service Corps programme at Savannah Sugar Company in Numan, Adamawa State.
Her career has consequently traversed several spheres, legislation, public administration, sports governance, women's development, grassroots mobilisation and national equity, giving her a diverse leadership profile as she takes on the responsibility of steering the Federal Character Commission.
Now, as Executive Chairman of the FCC, Omidiran leads the Commission in its constitutional mandate of promoting equitable and balanced representation in federal appointments, public institutions, infrastructure and resource distribution across Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
It is against this background that her appearance as keynote speaker at Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026 is generating interest, with expectations that she will bring her wealth of experience to a gathering focused on helping Enugu youths look beyond conventional limitations and discover new pathways to opportunity.
With the message “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission,” the event promises to place equity, access, information and youth participation at the heart of an important conversation about the future of young Nigerians.
“Ogene Romanus Chizoba is a Writer, Media Consultant, Political Scientist/Analyst, Junior Member of The National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Member of The Institute of Chartered Madiators and Conciliators of Nigeria (ICMC), researcher, Mediator, Peace Scholar and a Good Governance Advocate”
