Participation of Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa, Founder of DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative, at the UN STI Forum 2025
In May 2025, Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa, Founder of DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative (DTDYDI), led a high-level delegation of young innovators and advocates to the United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
This participation marked a significant milestone in DoTheDream YDI’s global advocacy journey, reinforcing its mission of empowering youth to lead transformative solutions in education, gender equity, clean energy, and sustainable livelihoods.
DoTheDream YDI at the STI Forum: Advancing Youth and Innovation for the SDGs
DoTheDream YDI’s engagement at the STI Forum underscored its commitment to leveraging science, technology, and innovation (STI) as a driver for achieving the 2030 Agenda. The organization’s work aligns directly with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
Adebusuyi and his delegation participated in the main conference sessions as well as several side events, where they:
Presented the Girls in Energy Project: An ambitious initiative to equip 14,980 girls in the Global South (2024–2028) with skills, mentorship, and pathways into the energy sector. The project serves as a scalable model for addressing gender disparity in STEM and energy-related industries.
Shared insights on youth-driven innovation ecosystems: Highlighting how locally developed solutions—from STEM clubs in Nigerian schools to grassroots innovation hubs—can bridge the education-to-employment gap for millions of African youths.
Enabled local-to-global impact pathways: Demonstrated how youth-led, community-driven models can be elevated into internationally recognized frameworks, ensuring no one is left behind in the innovation revolution.
Advocated for partnerships and investment: Called for multi-stakeholder collaborations between governments, the private sector, and development agencies to scale grassroots-led solutions into impactful global action.
Engaged with global leaders: Held bilateral dialogues with policymakers, UN agencies, and civil society leaders to advance opportunities for the Global South’s youth, particularly in the fields of renewable energy, digital transformation, and social innovation.
Why This Matters: Data That Drives Change
Globally, only 35% of STEM students in higher education are women, with far fewer transitioning into energy and technology careers (UNESCO, 2023).
In Sub-Saharan Africa, youth unemployment stands at 12%, but underemployment affects nearly one in three young people (ILO, 2024).
The renewable energy sector is projected to create 14 million new jobs by 2030 (IRENA, 2023), yet without deliberate action, women and girls risk being excluded.
By preparing 14,980 girls across the Global South for careers in energy between 2024–2028, DoTheDream YDI is building a pipeline of skilled, future-ready women leaders for an industry that desperately needs diverse talent.
Adebusuyi’s Leadership at the STI Forum
Adebusuyi’s voice at the STI Forum represented millions of young people across Africa and the Global South—youth who are often underrepresented in global decision-making spaces. His leadership continues to champion:
Youth Inclusion: Elevating young people as active co-creators, not passive beneficiaries, of sustainable development.
Innovation for Impact: Harnessing creativity, technology, and entrepreneurship as solutions to global challenges.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: Building bridges between youth movements, policymakers, academia, and the private sector to ensure shared accountability and action
Conclusion
The participation of DoTheDream YDI at the STI Forum 2025 is more than symbolic—it is a strategic step towards positioning African youth at the center of global innovation for sustainability. Through initiatives like the Girls in Energy Project, Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa and his team are proving that youth-driven, locally rooted, and globally connected solutions can accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda.
DoTheDream YDI’s work is a powerful reminder that the future of sustainable development depends on empowering today’s youth to become the leaders, innovators, and changemakers of tomorrow.
STEM AS A CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Tackling some of the greatest challenges of the Agenda for Sustainable Development – from improving health to combating climate change – will rely on harnessing all talent. That means getting more women working in these fields. Diversity in research expands the pool of talented researchers, bringing in fresh perspectives, talent and creativity
STEM education plays a crucial role in preparing young people for a future of complex challenges such as globalization, digitalization and climate change.
To close the gap in STEM, DoTheDream YDI, PRO-ALLY, Readland Global is bringing together stakeholders to exchange ideas and knowledge on how to further develop STEM capabilities to aid achievement of the SDGoals . The conversation will also highlight how to tackle systematic threats posed by triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
