Youth Urged to Engage in West Africa's Democratic Process

During a symposium in Abuja, stakeholders emphasized the urgent need for greater youth involvement in the democratic process across West Africa. Franci Madugu, Director at the National Democratic Institute, called on young people to take bold steps in governance rather than remaining sidelined.

He noted that previous generations of African leaders had greater access to political power and encouraged the youth to engage actively. Paul Osei Kuffour highlighted the growing disillusionment among young people due to perceived failures of democracy to deliver meaningful results.

He stressed the importance of mobilizing youth to sustain engagement and hold governments accountable. The panel discussion featured experts like Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim and Dr. Chri Fomunyoh, who pointed out systemic failures fueling youth disillusionment, including poverty and corruption.

They called for revisiting civic engagement practices to strengthen democratic governance and ensure that the voices of young people are heard in decision-making processes.