The Member-Elect Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos on Thursday 30th May, 2019 at the University of Jos presented a paper titled “the role of youths in Governance at a Public Lecture on the theme “the role of youths in 21st Century Governance” organized by the Office of the Senator Off Campus SUG Parliament of the University of Jos.

The event took place at Richard Akinjide Hall, Faculty of Law of the University of Jos.

Hon. Bagos who was reprsented by Mr. George Lengs underscored the vital roles being played by the youth in nation building but said they are being sidelined in the governance process.

His presentation is herein:

THE ROLE OF YOUTHS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE
A PAPER PRESENTED BY HON. DACHUNG MUSA BAGOS,
HON. MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JOS-SOUTH
AND JOS-EAST FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY
AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF JOS, PLATEAU STATE

INTRODUCTION:
Established democracies face a conundrum that challenges their very legitimacy; this
includes the engagement of young people in governance. In the same way, the role of
youths in good governance in Nigeria in recent times has generated serious discussions and
clear-cut policy agenda which are necessary for the development, plan and policy action of
any country. The assent of the bill of “Not Too Young to Run” in the year 2018 within Nigeria
Political System has directed more focus on the level of participation of youth in
governance. It tends to be an eye-opener for majority of young people that are on the edge
of reason and good conduct.
It must be painstakingly emphasized that rather than exploring the opportunities for
securing better lives, facing the challenges of a rapidly changing world, and thinking about
the future of our dear Nation, it is quite disappointing that the majority of our youths know
more of how to showcase anti-social behaviours with less involvement in good governance;
some are even bought out for political gains. It is shocking to realize that the constructive
attitudes of youths in traditional society of Nigeria have gone with the wind. Many young
people have given up on their Country. (Aghahowa, 2006).
Interestingly, governments at all levels of governance, parents, guardians and all the
stakeholders in our youth developmental processes are finally waking up to the realities that the surprisingly negative attitudes of our youths can be traced to the fact that we have tens of millions of unemployed Nigerian youths, and millions others living in abject poverty, even
having seen the four walls of Universities.

From the above situation, there have been considerable efforts in Nigeria aimed at
addressing the ever-increasing needs of the youth population. This ranges from emphasis on
education, empowerment to call for appropriate programmes, services and advocacy efforts
to harness and enhance the youth capacities and capabilities for Good Governance. This
therefore shows the importance of youth participation in Good Governance which is the
main thrust of this paper.
The significance of youth participation in Good Governance is of apt relevance considering
their vast majority of youths in Nigeria, estimated around 55 million. According to Udensi,
Daasi, Emah and Zukbee (2013), the numerical strength of the youth folk is an unlimited
avenue to which the socio-economic development of any nation can strive and national
development improved. Hence, if the youths are sidelined in the articulation of any Good
Governance programme, experts have argued, that it will be impossible to reach the
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, particularly on extreme poverty and hunger
(MDG 1), child mortality (MDG 4), maternal health (MDG 5) and environmental
sustainability (MDG 7).
With this knowledge, youths are better able to make choices that support the pursuit of
educational goals and the development of life skills necessary for national and local
leadership positions. Ignoring maximum commitment and engagement of youth in good
governance today will have dire national consequences for decades. To better understand
how to move the youth forward towards Good Governance, this paper examines the
rationale for expanding the youth frontier for active participation in Good Governance. The
rest of the paper is divided into five (5) sections outlined thus: conceptual framework (youth
and Good Governance), the situation of youths in Nigeria, the importance of youth for
national development, suggestive approach for youth empowerment and development in
Nigeria, conclusion/recommendation and references.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
YOUTH:
Many countries define youth/young people as the age at which a person is given equal
treatment under the law: often referred to as the ‘age of majority’. This age is often 18 in
many countries, and once a person passes this age, they are considered to be an adult.
However, the operational definition and nuances of the term ‘youth’ often vary from
country to country, depending on specific socio-cultural, institutional, economic and
political factors (Bessant, Sercombe, & Watts, 1998).
Youths, according to the dictionary, is seen as “the state or time of being young – young
men and women” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Current English, 2001). Hornby
(2007) defined youth as the time of life when a person is young especially the time before a
child becomes an adult. It is also used to mean the quality or state of being young.
MacMillan English Dictionary (2007), adds that youth refers to the time in peoples life when
they are young or looking young. Generally, the term youth refers to a time of life that is
neither childhood nor adulthood.
The National Youth Policy (2010 :10) in its position on the meaning of youth posited that
“the way in which a nation defines its youth is related to the object conditions and realities
that exist on ground especially historical and contemporary socio-economic and political
issues that need to be addressed”. For the purpose of this presentation, we will exploit the
age bracket of 18 – 35 to look at the meaning of youth, with emphasis that “this category
represents the most active, most volatile, and yet most vulnerable segment of the
population, socio-economically and in other respects (National Youth Policy, 2001)”.
Other scholars employed the age bracket of 15-30 to define youth. It is also helpful to add
that progressive-mindedness is one of the defining characteristics of youth. Therefore, the
current thinking is that people beyond the age of 36 who share the ideals of a progressive society are also considered as being youthful. Whatever the age limit, youths are men and
women considered to be young, energetic, vibrant and resourceful, who are often engaged
in social enterprises that requires physical strength and mental capacity (Suleiman, 2006).
Governance
Governance comprises all of the processes of governing– whether undertaken by
the government of a state, by a market or by a network – over a social
system (family, tribe, formal or informal organization, a territory or across territories) and
whether through the laws, norms, power or language of an organized society. It relates to
“the processes of interaction and decision-making among the actors involved in a collective
problem that lead to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of social
norms and institutions”. In lay terms, it could be described as the political processes that
exist in and between formal institutions.
Key notions in “governance” are ‘involvement’, ‘consultation’ and ‘participation’. These
words are sometimes used interchangeably and can have quite different meanings.
Participation refers “to the process of sharing decisions which affect one’s life and the life of
the community in which one lives”
Meaningful youth participation then, refers to the active engagement of young people in all
phases of the development and implementation of policies, programs and services that
affect their lives. This form of participation is essential to ensure the effectiveness of youth￾focused policies and programs, because it is the only way to guarantee that youth
perspectives sufficiently inform and direct them. Young people are in the best position to
identify and articulate their specific needs, challenges and skills.
THE SITUATION OF YOUTHS IN NIGERIA
Good Governance is a dynamic process involving all segments of the locality, including the
often-overlooked and undermined youth population. Youths represent a vast and often
untapped resource for immediate and long-term community development efforts. They also
provide an invaluable resource for the progress of any society as well as its development. As
youth are brought into and connected with national issues and programmes (they have often times been ignored/excluded), they can participate actively and contribute to
decision-making at multiple levels.
As youths are engaged in more sustained positive relationships with adults, other youths,
and national development programmes, apart from realizing that they are valued citizens of
their nations, such collaborations and participation may lead to skill enhancement,
empowerments and confidence-building traits, which will help prepare them for active
interest and involvement in Good Governance (even in future).
The total population of those between the ages of 15 and 40 was about 35 million in 1996,
equivalent to one of every three Nigerians. It was projected that by the year 2000, the total
population of this category of young persons would be about 38 million (National Youth
Policy, 2001). In 2006, a nation-wide population and housing census was conducted to
update the records. It indicated that the youth profile in the Nigerian population has
tremendously improved to 53 million (NPC, 2006). Apart from the issue of numerical
strength, global trend is towards emphasizing the primacy of youth in the developmental
process, with deliberate efforts by national governments to create conditions that will
encourage youth to utilize their energies and resourcefulness for growth and sustainable
development of their nations. It was in the light of this development that the Nigerian Youth
Organizations in their memorandum at the National Political Reform Conference held in
2005 maintained that:
Nigerian Youth must have a voice and must be given a greater say to
contribute in the way he is governed and allowed to play greater role in
leadership and governance so that at all times, he is properly equipped
to assume the mantle of leadership which inevitably must come
someday (National Political Reform Conference, 2005:15).
This is exactly the same presentation and projection of “Not too young to run” law.
However, the prevailing conditions in much of the developing nations, especially Nigeria,
have seriously extenuated the potentials of the youth as agents of social change. These
challenges range from the economic and social to the cultural. The treacherous triangle of
poverty, illiteracy and unemployment in which the bulk of Nigerian youths are currently
trapped, has severely challenged their sensibility and has in the long run given rise to what sociologists term attitudes of fatalism, resignation and acceptance of the situation
(Haralambos, 2001). The persistence of these social problems has created an environment
where youth are cheaply available for manipulation by self-seeking politicians. Poverty,
illiteracy and unemployment are interrelated conditions that generate human needs and
therefore constitute a state of deprivation.
As the youth continue to struggle with this situation, there is pent-up emotions and
untapped energies. They provide cheap labour to execute the design of political gladiators
and ethnic champions. In an apparent indictment of Nigerian politicians, Togbolo observed:
“They take advantage of the poverty-stricken nature of the country to exploit the people;
politicians are fond of using the youth restive nature as a political strategy to have their
way” (Togbolo, 2006).
THE IMPORTANCE OF INVOLVING YOUTHS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE
First, the involvement of youth in politics leads to civic engagement which is broader than
political engagement because it can include service to the community through involvement
in health, education and charity work. Political engagement is a more targeted aspect of
civic engagement and can be expressed through voting, participating in political
demonstrations and signing petitions for specific issues.
Second, when the country is bereaved of ideas towards national development, the younger
generation’s fresh ideas and new leadership can help to overcome authoritarian practices.
Protests led by youth leaders can force autocratic leaders to step down from power,
allowing youths to become part of formal decision-making.
Third, young people young people are best poised to advocate for their needs in creating
and implementing policies and programs to ensure youth-friendly programmes are free
from intimidation, coercion, discrimination, and violence. Young people are more receptive
to change and have a large stake in creating a strong future. Youth involvement facilitates
positive social change, including structures, policies and procedures that are demand-driven
to address the health needs of their communities and countries, now and in the future.

HOW TO INVOLVE YOUTHS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE
Youth participation is about creating opportunities for young people to influence, solve
problems, inform, shape, design and contribute to an activity or idea. These opportunities
are created through developing a range of formal and informal mechanisms for youth
participation from: youth advisory groups to focus groups ongoing consultation work to
supporting youth-led projects.
To involve youths in good governance, the following must be considered:
First, young people’s participation must be supported through inclusive political processes
and democratic practices, these are:
 The promotion of an enabling environment (legal frameworks, policies and plans) for
young people’s participation in a broad range of processes and areas (electoral and
parliamentary processes, public administration and local governance, including in
peace-building environments) at local, sub-national and national levels;
 The promotion of young people’s skills and capacities to participate actively in
democratic practices, including in local, national, and global processes (leadership
trainings, etc.)
 The promotion of young women’s participation and presence in political office and
decision-making at all levels (participation of young women -through both elected and
non-elected positions).
Other means of involving youths in governance are promoting:
 A community of practice for young people and practitioners working on governance
and accountability should be created to give those young people working on
governance across the world a forum in which to seek advice, share learning and
understanding, and increase opportunities for collaboration.

 Organizing youth groups, with support from youth-focused NGOs, could develop
such a platform and promote it, nationally and globally. The data revolution presents
enormous opportunities for young people’s participation and greater involvement in
governance and accountability, from the local to the global level, using different
forms of ICTs. In particular, generating real-time data that can contribute to young
people’s ability to monitor implementation and communicate findings can be an
effective and immediate method of promoting accountability. There is thus an
opportunity to use such data to foster good governance, transparency and
accountability.
 With the advancement of ICTs, it is critical that local government institutions are
given the necessary software (and related training) to make use of them to engage
with young people and overcome the detrimental effects of urban bias. This process
should also recognize that technocratic approaches do not automatically facilitate
the inclusion of marginalized groups – and may actually serve to further isolate
them.
 Tailored gender-sensitive measures are needed to facilitate the engagement of girls
and young women in participatory governance, as this can lead to transformation in
gendered social norms by legitimizing young women’s engagement in decision￾making arenas. It can also inform better programming and actions to address issues
of particular concern to girls and young women, such as violence, early pregnancy,
and mobility constraints. However, care should be taken that the quantity of young
women’s engagement does not become the focus at the expense of quality of their
engagement; specific measures may need to be taken to cater for young women’s
pre-existing time burdens, mobility constraints, and other rights discriminations.
 Ensure that young people are provided with spaces to participate in governance
processes alongside adults. This can help inform and change social norms about the
capabilities and ‘place’ of young people, changing adults’ perceptions about what
young girls and boys ‘can’ and ‘should’ do. While changes in social norms are often
considered to require intensive and long-term investment, the evidence shows that
adults’ views can change relatively quickly when they see what young people can contribute. Sensitizing adults on the role of young people in governance processes
would not only involve presenting their instrumental and intrinsic value, but also
downplaying perceptions regarding their ‘aggressiveness’.
 More robust monitoring and evaluation of young people’s participation in
governance should be undertaken in order to develop a more standardized,
comprehensive and communicable body of evidence regarding the forms and
functions of engagement that young people use with public actors, including an
analysis of the challenges they face, how these have been overcome, and what they
have achieved.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Nigeria with over 170 million people and with over fifty percent of youths cannot afford to
lock out the youths if they must compete politically, technologically and scientifically in
order to align itself with the sustainable development in Africa in particular and the
developed world in general. Nigeria can build a strong and viable nation if and only if there
is an existence of common values, beliefs, attitudes, effective leadership and a will to live
together as a nation. Such transformations must allow every group (especially the youth
population) to participate in the economic, political and the social spheres of the nation.
The following recommendations are discernibly based on the foregoing:
a. Youth should be given the opportunity to develop their capacities through balanced
education and exposure.
b. Skills acquisition and entrepreneurship will help reduce idleness among youths and
keep them from being involved in crime and other activities that are
counterproductive in Good Governance.
c. Youths should be made relevant and involved in leadership at different levels of
government.
d. We must moderate our demands on our youths and as well condition their
behaviour in line with our cultural values.
The youth of today must not fail this nation. I will work assiduously towards achieving these
goals.

Thank you.

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Rep-Elect, Hon. Dachung Bagos Speaks on Role of Youth in Governance