As Nigerians grapple with advocating for youth inclusion in governance, the youth in northeast Nigeria have been charged with prioritising personal development in preparation for leadership positions.
This charge was delivered yesterday, Friday, May 31st, at the YouthGovTracka North-East Tertiary Debate Competition at the College of Legal Studies, Yola, Adamawa State.
In his opening remarks, Riki Siman, the focal person and lead organiser of the debate competition, highlighted the need for youth inclusion in governance, saying, “That will further close the gap between youth and governance in Nigeria.
Riki added that the youths are always ready to take on leadership. Not only to vote in an election but to be voted for. He, however, pointed out that youths should invest more in personal development as they get more ready for the nation’s governance.
In his words, “It is time for the youths to build capacity, to be able to participate in governance processes. It is also time for us to self-develop because it is only when we have the capacity that we can drive the changes we clamour for.”
Mr. David Musa, a lecturer and youth activist, added that the youth in Nigeria have the largest demography. He stated that the youths are ready for leadership, and the time is now for them to pick up the mantle, especially those in Adamawa.
“I believe in the Nigerian youths, especially the Adamawa youths. I know we are talented, we have all it takes. We are very ready, our strength and vigour are things that make each one of us ready. However, let us continue to build on ourselves, and make investments into personal development. We should not necessarily wait for the government to do it for us, make a little more effort.” Musa said.
Mr. Boniface Waziri, the founder of the I Need to Know Foundation, an Adamawa-based youth-led organisation championing civic participation and transparent governance, agrees that the time is now for the youth in northeast Nigeria to go full force in politics and take on the mantle of leadership.
“Our call to the youth is for them to know and realise that this is their time. The youth need to know that they have developed themselves, having passed through primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, it is high time they began creating changes in the community. Although I still believe that more investments should be made, the youths in Nigeria, especially in the northeast, are ready and should take full participation in politics.
YouthGovTracka is an initiative of the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative aimed at bridging the governance gap between youths and the government. The project is supported by the Youth Democracy Cohort and funded by the European Partnership for Democracy.
The YouthGovTracka Northeast Tertiary Debate Competition is an avenue to gather youths across the six states to champion talks and sensitise youths to drive change in Nigeria by getting them involved in governance.
The highlights of the event include the award ceremony for the winners, panel discussions, and icebreaking sessions.
