The Youth Quota in Parliament, a youth advocacy group, has urged stakeholders to support its push against discrimination and marginalisation in governance and decision-making.
The appeal was made in Abuja by the team behind the Nigeria Youth Representation in Parliament Bill, also called the ‘Youth Quota’ bill.
The bill proposes that one-third of seats in the National and State Assemblies be allocated to young people aged 25–40, including men, women, and persons with disabilities.
Mr Blessing Oyefeso, team lead for Nigeria Youth Policy Development Advocacy, compared Nigeria’s current political climate to its colonial past, lamenting the dominance of older leaders and capitalists.
He recalled that young Nigerians such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Tafawa Balewa courageously demanded independence, urging today’s youth to demand fair representation in decision-making at parliament.
Updating on progress, Oyefeso said the advocacy team had met senior staff of National Assembly constitutional amendment committees and formally submitted a proposal for the bill.
He added that the team had also consulted elder statesmen, youth leaders, and other stakeholders to build broad-based support for the initiative.
The group secured endorsements after speaking at the National Youth Leaders and Stakeholders Summit. On International Youth Day, they engaged students and executives to strengthen the campaign.
Oyefeso disclosed that legislative consultants had been commissioned to draft the proposed bill and its explanatory memorandum.
Looking ahead, he said meetings were planned with young lawmakers of the 10th Assembly, the Inter-Party Advisory Council chair, and youth leaders from political parties.
“A national coalition of CSOs, political parties, youth groups, influencers, and media outlets will be formed to mobilise strong support for the bill,” he said.
Oyefeso announced a “democracy roundtable dialogue” for Sept. 15 to mark International Day of Democracy, which will feature key stakeholders and be broadcast on social media.
He added that a “coalition-building and mobilisation conference” would hold from Oct. 22-24, followed by a media parley and webinar from Nov. 3-21 to amplify the message.
