EU Harps On Sustained Democracy, Youth Participation In Elections

The European Union (EU) has said there was need to sensitise Nigerian youths on the importance of actively participating in elections, engaging in politics and the need to preserve democracy in Nigeria.

Head of Governance, Peace, and Migration Section, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Ruben Alba Aguilera, who spoke at a five day retreat for implementing partners under the EU-SDGN programme, said the EU remains committed to supporting the consolidation of Nigeria’s democracy and ensuring democracy serves everyone in the country regardless of their social strata.

He said: “We need to explain to the people, especially the youth, the importance of participating in elections and engaging politically, because that is a way to raise their concerns and their voices.

“We want to see that, ultimately, the choices and needs of the people are taken care of. That is what a well-functioning democracy should be about; making sure that political parties, the National Assembly, and other decision makers, are listening to the needs of the people and are also making the right decisions for the country to move forward.

We want to make sure that we have a legal framework that allows for all of that to happen.” The EU, through its 16 implementing partners under the EU-SDGN programme, has continued to drive interventions in ways that show commitment to fostering inclusion, participation, and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

While highlighting the need for Nigeria to minimise the possibility for conflicts in upcoming elections, Aguilera explained that the retreat was important to enable the programme take stock of progress made, review challenges, and generate recommendations moving forward.

He said: “We cannot take democracy for granted in Nigeria and anywhere in the world. We’ve seen so many countries in the region that are actually struggling to preserve the space for people to participate and to be able to express their voice.

“That is why it is important to come together to take stock of all of the progress that we’ve made with the huge number of stakeholders, which is a reflection of the vibrant civil society here in Nigeria, and to really discuss the progress made, challenges, and what we are going to be doing for the next couple of years in the run-up to the 2027 General Election.