Civic Society Groups Boost Youth Participation in Governance

Five leading civic society groups in the country have concluded plans for a nationwide project geared towards sensitising the Nigerian youth towards greater participation in governance.

This was disclosed in a joint statement signed by Prince Rwang Pam Jnr, spokesman of the Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SAMBA), on behalf of the five organisations.

Themed, ‘Towards Increased Youth Participation in Governance’, the project will commence in the South-East with a ‘Nigerian Youth Conference and Debate Tournament’ scheduled to take place between March 23 and 26, 2022 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in Anambra State.

The organisers of the youth conference include the Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN), The Nigeria Citizens Initiative (TNCI), Society for Women Mentoring and Advancement (SWOMAAD), and the Southern and Middle Belt Alliance (SAMBA) in collaboration with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Debate Club (NAUDC), a chapter of the Nigeria Debating Community (NDC).

The SAMBA spokesman stated that the four-day event will feature debate contests among 400 students from major Nigeria Universities and award of prizes.

In a statement issued ahead of the programme, the organisers said, “There will also be seminars with guest speakers, including politicians, community and religious leaders, captains of industry and the academic community.”

“The aim of the conference is to transform our youths from being mere spectators on the side-lines of politics to an enlightened and competent group of stakeholders prepared for leadership responsibilities.

“The youth, not oil, will be Nigeria’s greatest assets by 2030. So the primary aim of this event is to uplift the Nigerian youth from the fringes of leadership to an educated and distinct social demographic of a competent body of young people prepared for leadership.

“We expect at least 1,000 youths from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, drawn from the 36 States of the federation, to attend the event".

According to the group, other issues to be explored include addressing the challenge of youth and political apathy, rotational presidency and Nigeria's democracy, addressing political inequality and imbalance through zoning of political offices, women inclusiveness and gender balance in governance, as well as the role of the media in ensuring political equity.

The organisers of the conference also said the groups are serious about ensuring that the Nigerian youths participate actively in the next general election because the future of the country lies in their hands.

“We want the youth to understand that the future is in their hands. So they must participate effectively as the country seeks to elect a president with a proven track record of job and wealth creation from the private sector,” Pam Jnr said.