Increasing Youth Participation In Nigerian Politics
Once upon a time, 30year-olds were running the affairs of this country. Today, what we have is gerontocracy-government of the old by the old. Interestingly, these politicians have now positioned their children to take power after them. It is imperative that young people in Nigeria take advantage of their number as the country has one of the fastest growing young populations in Africa. There are several ways to do this.
1. Join a political party. Rather than sit around and complain, position yourself within a political party. At first, it will look like one is starting from the bottom but there is nothing wrong with starting from the bottom if you keep your eyes focused on the end game.
2. Educate yourself. This is an area where a lot of youths fail to prepare for. they take for granted the power of continuous education. we have become a society that downplays the educational achievements of others even though we know that our country is ‘paper focused’ when it comes to giving people jobs. this explains why a Governor of Kaduna is studying for his PhD in Netherlands. He will make it look like it is not a big deal while he firmly positions himself.
3. Volunteer. We live in an age where people want something for doing nothing, We want everything free. Just constantly remind yourself that there is a price for greatness. If you don’t have a job currently, volunteering is a good way to boost your resume.