Role Of Youths In Advancing The Course Of Democracy In Nigeria

By Comr. Udoka Asoya, a Political Analyst

The African youth charter recognises youths as people who fall within the age bracket of 15 -35 year. Interestingly, Nigeria happens to be the largest state in Africa with an estimated population of over 182 million and also has more than half of this population as people below 30 years of age.

Other nations of the world never fail to give the young people unbridled opportunity to actualize their dreams. For example, Emmanuel Macron of France became the President at the age of 39 in 2015. One would have thought that the government will convert this huge human capital resources which undoubtedly is the greatest of all resources into wealth creation . It will interest you to know that majority of those who fought for Nigeria’s independence were relatively young but the story is no longer the same today. They have been relegated to the background, always playing the second fiddle. Sadly this system of political gerontocracy has perpetually kept the youths aground. It has given rise to a large scale of unemployment, brain drain and extreme poverty.

As at 2019, it was estimated that unemployment rate stood at 13.9% using an annual growth rate of 3.5%. This is a tragedy of gigantic proportion,and has further resulted in the incubation of frustrated apolitical young generation.

The present day leaders use the philosophy and instrumentality of feudalism and elitism to always have their way thereby silencing any courageous voice that attempts to challenge the statusquo. The sabotage of the October 2020 youth protest against police brutality is a classical example.

At this point, I call on the youths to rise up to the occasion and change the narrative. Fraudulent acts and violence must be jettisoned, The slogan “school na scam ” is counterproductive. As the 2023 general election is drawing closer, they should form a formidable political party that will be all inclusive.

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Moreso, they must call the bluff of the leaders who use them as tools of destruction. The agitation must be geared towards the enthronement of an egalitarian society and political pluralism which is in line with Jeremy Bentham’s theory of state, which is of the view that “The essence of governance is the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people in the society.

Comrade Udoka Asoya, a political scientist and youth activist writes from Asaba.