African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development

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Youth Participation in Politics in the Niger Delta

The idea of youth participation in politics has become a popular part of contemporary political talk in every part of the world except Nigeria and particularly in the Niger Delta where one can note that youth participation in governance often end during electioneering campaigns and at the polls.

The few opportunities that exist for the youths are hijacked by the older generation with 60-year-old as Youth Leader in political party(ies), despite the United Nations definition of youth as a person between the ages of 15-24.

Realizing that the youth constitute the backbone and future of any nation, the African Union developed the African Youth Charter, where it prescribed responsibilities to Member States for the development of youth. In Nigeria, and particularly in the Niger Delta, there is little or no efforts at harnessing the potentials of the youth. The capacity building for youth interested in politics project was developed to address this gap to prepare youth to participate in the region’s decision-making process.

Intervention Projects

Key Achievements

  • Capacity of 261 youths (male and female) built to participate in politics in the focal States of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States by Centre LSD.
  • Out of those trained in Delta State, one of them Innocent Anidi won a House of Assembly seat and he is currently the Minority leader in the House.
  • Two others from those trained still in Delta State, Modesty Ogbalor and Solomon Osuemerai contested and won election during the Ward Congresses in Delta State as Ward Chairman (Oleh Ward 2) and Youth leader (Oleh Ward 2) respectively.
  • Another trainee from Delta State, Mr. Paul Oyiborume contested for APC National Youth Leader South-South position but lost. He later got appointed as the Director of the Youth Wing of the Great Ogboru Campaign Organization to coordinate activities of the youth under the Ogboru platform in Delta State. He was subsequently appointed into the President Buhari Youth and Women Campaign organization to mobilize youths and women for the 2019 election. Recently, he was awarded for his contribution to building the capacity of youths in his church.
  • Another two (Barr. Mathew Omonade and Kelvin Djagbo) from Delta State, got appointment as Special Assistants to the Deputy Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • In Edo State, two of the trainees Amienye Omoregie and Grace Obakina used the training to launch themselves into mainstream politicking during the 2019 general election in the state. got their primary elections ticket and contested for Edo House of Assembly seats during the 2019 general election. Though they lost in the election, one of them, Grace Obakina elected to step up by working with youths and women in the state, where he won several awards. The other has become relevant in his party and in the discourse of youths, politics and governance.
  • In Bayelsa State, Alfreder Ato (SDP), and Franklin Kemebimo Favourankie (YDP) picked their respective party ticket to contest the State Assembly seats but lost to the power of incumbency in the State. Another, Robert Bokolo now Co-ordinates Bayelsa chapter of Coalition of Young Candidates of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigerian Youth Social Responsibility Fund project, while Alfreder Ato is working to advance the cause of women and youths in the State.

Projects