by Aisha Shehu
N
igeria is typically led by the
older generation despite
a youth bulge and an
increasingly young population
demographic. This is believed to have
led to a lack of interest and under-
participation of young people in
governance issues. However, as social
media and online forums exert growing
influence, many young people are
using such platforms to express their
views on governance and as a medium
to challenge the status quo. The
power unleashed by these platforms
has recently prompted reactions
by top government officials due to
public pressure; served to promote
transparency among elected officials;
and brought cutting-edge news and
information to a wide range of young
audiences thereby sparking debate that
lead to action.
A prominent movement driven largely
via online platforms is the ‘Not Too
Young To Run’ campaign that resulted
in a constitutional change on the age
of eligibility to contest for elected
office. The movement spurred national
18
interest among youth in democracy
and governance as evidenced by the
numbers who sought party tickets
during the September 2018 primary
elections. It is thus apparent that it is
essential to leverage young people’s
ever increasing online presence to
disseminate knowledge and resources
that further promote active citizenship
and civic participation.
It is against this backdrop that the
Aspilos Foundation, with support from
the U.S. Embassy, seeks to engage
young people aged 18-35 years for its
Citizen’s Platform project. The project
supports the Embassy’s goal to promote
stronger democratic institutions
through active participation of citizens
and civil society. Piloting in Kano State
with about 1000 young people, the
Foundation’s team will provide training
targeting youth on active citizenship,
democracy and good governance, with
practical approaches to promote a
credible democratic process during the
2019 general elections.
The project as a whole is designed to
empower young people to help ensure
CROSSROADS | December 2018/January 2019
the integrity of the electoral process
and that it is conducted in a peaceful,
free and fair manner. The project
will also engage stakeholders such as
security agencies, the National Youth
Service Corps, Association of Local
Government Chairmen, traditional
and faith-based institutions, as well
as influential organizational bodies
such as the National Union of Road
Transport Workers and Market
Women Associations.
Beyond the important role of
contributing to democratic electoral
processes, the online platform will
also serve as a real-time accountability
check on the activities of elected
officials. The Citizen’s Platform
targets young people aged 18-35
years from all 36 states of Nigeria to
spread knowledge about democratic
governance and their active
engagement in civic life. Peers will
continuously share information
to reinforce their collective skills
on how to promote accountability
and transparency from elected
representatives, along with learning
organizational skills to engage
communities in their home locales.
The
Citizen’s
Platform