The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called for the expansion of intellectual platforms for young Nigerians, saying the country urgently needs more spaces that stimulate inquiry, reflection and meaningful dialogue.
This call came on Thursday at the closing of the 2025 Mu’azzam Ibrahim Institute of Philosophy, Political Theory and Critical Thinking, a three-day programme designed to revive deep thinking and analytical engagement among young people.
Speaking at the event, CITAD’s Executive Director, Malam Y. Z. Ya’u, said the institute. founded seven years ago, was created to address what he termed the steady decline in the study of philosophy and political theory in Nigerian institutions.
He warned that the weakening of these fields was shrinking young people’s capacity for reflection and critical questioning.
“We discovered a growing need for a platform where young people can engage with philosophical and critical questions,” Ya’u said.
“Many of them are losing the capacity to ask questions, and the frontiers of knowledge are shrinking because there are fewer spaces for engaging with unanswered questions.”
Also speaking, Malam Ibrahim Mu’azzam, a philosopher and former lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, said questioning remained central to human understanding.
He urged participants to push back against mental laziness and Nigeria’s growing discomfort with probing ideas.
“Young people must clear the fog in their heads,” he said.
“People should continue questioning how humans betray their values and society. Philosophy helps us reflect deeply on ethics, truth and the human condition.”
He added that the institute seeks to equip youths with clarity of thought, open-mindedness and empathy for differing perspectives.
For his part, Professor Ibrahim Bello Kano of Bayero University, Kano, said critical thinking and reading were indispensable tools for young people navigating a fast-changing world.
“Critical thinking sharpens their ability to analyze information, question assumptions and make informed decisions,” he said.
“Reading expands knowledge and cultivates empathy by exposing them to diverse perspectives.”
A participant from Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, Aliyu Umar Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of the 30 attendees, thanked CITAD for sustaining what he described as a “rare platform for intellectual development.”
“We appreciate the organisers for giving us this opportunity,” he said.
The three-day programme, held from Tuesday to Thursday, ended with all participants receiving certificates of attendance.
