Nigeria opens political space youths 2019

A great topic!

In 2019, Nigeria's political landscape underwent significant changes, particularly with regards to the participation of youths in the political process. Here are some key developments that opened up political space for Nigerian youths:

  1. Not Too Young To Run Act: In May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Not Too Young To Run Act into law, which reduced the age requirement for presidential and gubernatorial candidates from 40 to 35 years. This law paved the way for more young Nigerians to participate in politics.
  2. Increased youth representation in politics: The 2019 general elections saw a significant increase in the number of young Nigerians contesting for political offices. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 1,048 young people (born between 1980 and 1999) contested for various political offices, including the National Assembly, governorship, and state assemblies.
  3. Youth-led political parties: New political parties, such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP), were founded by young Nigerians. These parties focused on issues that resonated with the youth, such as job creation, education, and healthcare.
  4. Social media activism: Social media platforms played a crucial role in mobilizing young Nigerians to participate in the political process. Online campaigns, hashtags, and memes helped to raise awareness about political issues and encouraged young people to register to vote and participate in the elections.
  5. Increased voter turnout: The 2019 elections saw a significant increase in voter turnout, particularly among young Nigerians. According to INEC, the overall voter turnout was 35.5%, with 42.5% of voters aged 18-35 participating in the elections.
  6. Youth-friendly policies: Some political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), included youth-friendly policies in their manifestos, such as job creation, entrepreneurship support, and education reform.
  7. Increased engagement with political leaders: Young Nigerians were more engaged with political leaders and parties than ever before. Many young people attended political rallies, town hall meetings, and online forums to ask questions and demand answers from political leaders.

While there is still much work to be done to fully open up political space for Nigerian youths, the 2019 elections marked a significant step forward in terms of increasing youth participation and representation in politics.