Admin2023 Elections: A Wake-up Call For Nigerian Youths
Unresolved grievances can feed the flames of civil upheaval and protests, destroying a whole society. Nigeria saw a glimse of this during the EndSars nationwide protests that called for reformation of the country’s policing architecture.
Therefore, as the crucial 2023 general elections approach, the clamor for youth-inclusive electioneering, governance and political structure is on the rise, as the political elite beat their drums for political conventions and campaigns. This in sight, the elite need not be told that marginalising youths in the forthcoming election could lead to economic and political problems that may deprive the country of peaceful co-existence.
Unfortunately, youth marginalization in economic, social, and political areas is a Nigerian phenomenon. Despite many adoptions of the United Nations Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Youth in governance in Nigeria, inequality persists due to a plethora of political elite and structural issues. This has limited young engagement in most realms of government structure, with major consequences for human resource development and, in that capacity, the country’s economic development and the overall status of gender equality.