Samson Itodo, the director of Yiaga Africa, has called on young people in Nigeria to get ready for political engagement based on performance and ideals, emphasizing that youth leadership ought to represent ideology and substance rather than just numbers.
Speaking on Thursday during a Youth Forum marking President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office.
The program, which had as its theme ‘Pressing Issues Affecting Nigeria’s Youth’, had important stakeholders and government representatives discussing issues in fields like business, education, health, and the creative sector.
The current political culture, according to the YIAGA director, lacks the values-based basis necessary to promote significant advancement.
The prevailing nature of Nigerian politics is not motivated by moral principles or effective administration. Young people who demand leadership roles are unable to behave in the same way as more established politicians. Nigerians want leadership with a fresh perspective and personality.
“Young people have what it takes to provide that leadership, but they’ve got to be prepared. As a country, we are not paying enough attention to young people. A lot of them are upset with leadership at all levels because leadership is not delivering political and economic opportunities to them,” he added.
Two years into President Tinubu’s term, Itodo evaluated the role of youth in governance.
When asked how well Nigerian youths have fared in representing their demographic and influencing governance, he stated, “When we talk about youth representation, it’s not the quantitative dimension of participation that matters most. The key question is, How are these young people performing in public office?”
Itodo, a supporter of the Not Too Young To Run Bill which former President Muhammadu Buhari passed in 2018, emphasized that there are still large disparities in youth engagement in politics.
“We are far away from where we want to be. I’ve learnt three things in the past two years of getting young people into office : there is a place for preparation as far as leadership is concerned.
For this reason, it is crucial that young people to invest in leadership development,” he said.
He contends that Nigeria’s current political climate discourages transformative or merit-based leadership, which has an impact on how young people enter and function in government.
“Unfortunately, we are within a context that does not celebrate merit-based, transformative leadership, so we need to inculcate that mindset into young people. There has to be an ideology that drives the kind of politics we practice.”
He also emphasized the need for deliberate efforts to provide young Nigerians with the resources they need to succeed and place them in leadership roles.
