Junior Chambers International Nigeria has unveiled the NATCON 2026 logo ahead of the National Convention slated for October in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, drawing attention to effective leadership.
The theme of this year’s convention is: “Amplifying 2026: Scaling Impact For A New Nigeria.”
Speaking with select journalists shortly after the unveiling of the logo, JCIN Ambassador and the National President, JCIN, Akinbode Abitogun, urged Nigerian leaders to lead rightly for societal improvement. “JCI Nigeria is telling the leaders to do things rightly and let us continue to improve our society,” Abitogun said.
Abitogun stated that JCI empowers young people between the ages of 18 and 40 with leadership skills, adding that the leadership organisation prioritises programmes and projects tailored to giving back to society. He said, “We have the time, capability, and the skills to rule, to lead rightly.”
According to him, JCI also builds networks across the globe where like-minded young people meet to hold events and discuss business opportunities.
He said, “Every year we have a gathering, which is the national convention. And this year, we are having it in the city of Ibadan, come October. And there’s no better way to show the logo that represents the convention to people and members than officially unveiling it to the public.”
Also speaking, the host President of JCI Ibadan Elite, Ibukunoluwa Otesile, urged Nigerian leaders to do things right, saying the interest of Nigerians should be the first priority. “Let’s do things right, putting the interest of Nigerians first,” Otesile said.
Explaining the rationale behind the choice of the convention theme, Otesile said that JCI is amplifying its impact in society as well as its visibility in Nigeria.
“This year, what we’re doing is, we are amplifying the structural improvements, we are amplifying the impact in our community and society, we are amplifying the visibility of JCI in Nigeria.
“We are amplifying and scaling up impact in Nigeria—the New Nigeria that all of us are looking forward to, that we’ve been talking about. The impacts that we have been making, we want to amplify those impacts, and those impacts would now bring about the New Nigeria that we are clamouring for. That’s what the logo is speaking to,” Otesile said.
She described the National Convention of JCI Nigeria as the biggest gathering of youths, with over 1,500 participants expected at the event. “And JCI Nigeria convention usually would have guests from outside of Nigeria—from JCI Africa and the Middle East and from JCI in the global community. So this is just saying JCI Ibadan is ready to host you,” Otesile said.
Additionally, she noted that the convention logo highlighted the heritage of Ibadan as well as showcased the Cocoa House, stressing the need for youths to sustain the culture and bequeath legacies.
“We are ensuring that those things that used to give us pride, we still take pride in them, and then use those things to inspire us to even do better. So, if in the years before now we could have the first skyscraper in Africa, in Ibadan, what can’t we do now in 2026? So if there’s anything to go home with, it’s that JCI Ibadan Elite is calling on every youth to go back and look at the culture, look at the things that have been done in the past, and use the things available to us now to better them,” Otesile said.
Also speaking on leadership, a member of JCI Nigeria and a Director of the 2026 Convention, Adebisi Michael, said Nigerians lacked patriotism, adding that patriotic individuals in leadership positions would strive for a better Nigeria.
He said, “I can tell you that all my life I have been doing leadership, from my university days. And currently, as a PhD student, I’m doing my research on Youth Leadership in Nigeria. And I can tell you the only thing we lack as individuals is patriotism. And when we have patriotic individuals in this country, and they are in leadership, we will have a better country.”
On youths and leadership in Nigeria, a past president of JCI Ibadan Elite 2022, Goodness Morakinyo, said JCI prepares people within the ages of 18 and 40 for leadership in diverse areas of interest, cutting across business and career paths.
He said, “So we think that leadership is not what is merited or what you are born with, but what you learn.” Present at the event were JCI members from across the country.
