SOME stakeholders have highlighted the importance of youth inclusion and adoption of technology as prerequisites to robust governance and accountability.
The stakeholders, including President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Youth Initiative, Titi Gbadamasi, Founder and Africa Director of MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shetima, Global Director of Budgit, Oluseun Onigbinde, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, spoke at the Promad’s Accelerating Youth Participation in Governance (AYPG) on Thursday, May 2, in Abuja.
The event featured a cohort of 18 young leaders from the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory who received training on participation in governance.
The session’s highlight was a panel discussion on artificial intelligence, with insights shared by panellists and the African director of the MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shetimma, who delivered the keynote address.
The stakeholders charged youths with being intentional about politics and governance and urged them to embrace Artificial Intelligence to hold political leaders accountable.
Speaking on the role of youths in governance, the SSA to the President on Youths Initiative, Gbadamasi, noted that Nigerians, both at home and abroad, shared the same aspiration for a better Nigeria, adding that their active involvement in governance was a critical tool for progress.
Addressing concerns about youth representation in positions of power, Gbadamasi stressed the importance of intentionality and consistency in pursuing leadership roles.
She said that governance was not a passive endeavour but required proactive engagement and strategic participation from youth.
Gbadamasi also urged the youth to remain steadfast in their commitment to effecting positive change, emphasising the need for sustained involvement in the political process.
“So young people cannot take a back seat. They cannot be relaxed in their approach. We must show consistency. Most importantly, we cannot be here today and there tomorrow if we want a better Nigeria. We have to continually show up for a better Nigeria.”
When asked about President Tinubu’s commitment to mainstreaming youth representation, Gbadamasi explained that significant strides had been made in this regard, noting that the president’s cabinet had a convincing number of youths.
She also highlighted the administration’s efforts to prioritise youth-centric policies and initiatives across various sectors, including education and agriculture.
Responding to questions about achievements within Tinubu’s administration in its first year, particularly concerning youth-focused initiatives, she said, “we have very significant strides. For instance, we have the Student Loan that has now been signed into an act and that gives priority to education, young peoples’ education. So we no longer have issues with you cannot go to school because you don’t have funds. You can apply, and it’s devoid of any kind of who-knows-who process.”
Addressing the implications of AI in elections and governance, the Executive Director of Promad, Daisi Omokungbe, emphasised the inevitability of technology in shaping electoral processes and overall development.
“Essentially, whether we like it or not, AI and other technologies will shape our elections. It will shape our development and businesses…So for us not to be on the wrong side of technology and AI, that is why we put this event together.”
Less than 10 per cent of youths engaged their elected leaders in FCT
Drawing from recent research conducted by the organisation, Omokungbe highlighted the ‘alarming’ lack of engagement between young people and their elected representatives in the FCT.
According to him, less than 10 per cent of those interviewed never had the opportunity to engage their elected representatives.
“On the other side, their elected representatives have also not engaged them in town hall meetings or called for a consultative forum where they will be able to shape development issues,” he said.
The Promad boss, therefore, called for urgent need for proactive youth involvement in governance and democracy.
“We cannot be passive about governance and democracy and expect to have sustainable development. So we need all of us to be active about governance, about democracy, to attain certain development, “ he said
Panelist weigh in
Speaking on rethinking youths’ participation in governance with AI in Nigeria, the Executive Director of YIAGA, Itodo, recommended re-evaluating traditional approaches to civic engagement and leveraging technology to enhance democratic processes.
He further explained the multifaceted role of AI in mobilising voters and countering misinformation during elections.
“We can use AI to mobilise people to show up for an election, and to do so, one of the things AI tends to do is to detect fake news. You can use AI to counter misinformation…Another thing AI can do is examine and analyse images to detect and make informed decisions about the existence of images.
“The second thing AI can do is fast-tracking decision-making,” he added.
While acknowledging AI’s transformative potential, he sought a balanced approach to technology adoption and its use for societal benefit.
Also emphasising the importance of AI and its threat, Budgit Global Director, Onigbinde said AI emerged like other technology tools, with benefits and challenges.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M