Electoral reform: NGO trains South-West youths on active political participation

MAP Media Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has begun training of youths in the South-West on the need for their involvement in active political participation and electoral reform in the country.

The team leader of the NGO, Mayowa Adeniran, said during that the one day training in Osogbo, it was aimed at increasing youth’s active participation in political processes and electoral reform in the country.

Adeniran, who noted that the training would cut across the six states in the South-West geopolitical zone, said that the project was to mobilise, empower and engage young people for sustainable electoral participation.

He said that the NGO was training the youth by focusing on the top five “youth election reform priorities” in the country.

According to him, the reform includes; establishment of an electoral offences commission, timely transmission of election results, interpretation and amendment of continuous registration laws, pre-election petition resolutions and INEC leadership selection process reform.

“At the end of all these, we want to see how we can increase youths participation as the 2027 general elections approaching.

“The training is to stimulate conversation around electoral reform, the use of digital media to engage and the reason for the shift in voter apathy.

“The training is also to let the youth see how their participation can reduce political violence and how they can engage their fellow youths to participate in politics,” he said.

Adeniran, who noted that the training was a regional project, said it was supported by Canada Funds for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

He also said that the youth were expected to train other youths at their various senatorial districts.

Also speaking, Mrs Bunmi Eyelade, South-West Director of programmes, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), an NGO, said that the training was to encourage the youth to continue to participate in electoral processes and its reform.

“We know that at this point, the young people are disillusioned about elections in country, considering what happened in 2023 general elections and thereafter.

“This training, however, is expected to encourage the young ones to see reasons why they need to take active participation in electoral processes for a positive change,” she said.

Some of the participants commended the NGO for the initiative, describing it as an eye opener.

A participant, Adetunji Ajala, Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Osun, said that the training had deepened his understanding on how things should be done in electoral processes in the country.

Ajala, who commended the NGO for identifying with the relevant youth stakeholders in the state, said that they would stepdown the training at their various senatorial districts.

Mr Aghanti Smith, the General-Secretary of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Osun, said the youth must be ready to take active participation in politics to ensure a better Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants drawn from the three senatorial districts in the state were taught on importance of electoral reform advocacy, role of youth-led movements and organisations in promoting political participation, among others.