Yiaga grooms varsity students leadership, political participation

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Yiaga Africa has trained student leaders of Not Too Young To Run hubs drawn from selected universities across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones to strengthen youth leadership and democratic participation.

The training, themed Redefining Youth Leadership, was held in Abuja on Thursday with support from the Open Society Foundations.

It brought together 18 students—three each from Modibo Adama University, Yola; Ignatius Ajuru University, Rivers; Benue State University, Makurdi; University of Lagos; Imo State University; and Federal University, Dutsin-Ma.

Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event,Yiaga’s programme officer, Olaniyan Sanusi, said the organisation convened leaders of hubs from six tertiary institutions established over the last two years.

Sanusi said Yiaga deliberately invested in creating the hubs to give young people platforms to promote democratic rights, leadership and active political participation.

He explained that the retreat was designed to equip student leaders with essential leadership and management skills required to run the hubs effectively.

“What we hope to see in the coming months is young people taking concrete actions in their schools and communities to promote youth political participation in the next general elections and beyond,” he said.

Also speaking, Africa programme coordinator of Yiaga Africa, Ibrahim Faruk, said the hubs were an offshoot of the Not Too Young To Run movement championed by the organisation between 2016 and 2018.

Faruk recalled that the movement successfully reduced the constitutional age requirements for contesting elections, opening up political space for more young Nigerians in the 2019 general elections.

He said the hubs operate like campus-based clubs focused on political engagement, leadership development and community mobilisation.

Faruk added that the movement aims to increase youth, women and persons with disabilities’ representation in elective offices, build continental solidarity and grow a grassroots network of millions committed to inclusive politics.

One of the participants, Emmanuel Chukwu, a law student from Imo State University, said the programme reinforced the belief that young people are never too young to lead or participate actively in politics.

Another participant, Aisha Bari’a Baffa from the Federal University Dutse, said she attended the training to build leadership capacity and gain clarity on the skills and purpose required to lead effectively.

She said the opportunity to learn and network with peers was crucial to shaping responsible youth leadership in Nigeria.