By Toyin Falola
Motivated by the recent demonstrations in Kenya that resulted in President Ruto’s decision to reject the Finance Bill 2024 and disband his cabinet, young Nigerians have turned to social media and street protests to advocate for change in their country.
Nigerians began a 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest on 1 August 2024 and are expected to continue until 10 August. They took to the streets to demand economic and political reforms, including the reversal of some government policies. Policies like the removal of petrol subsidies and the floating of the naira have led to Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation as prices of goods and services more than doubled.
The protests began peacefully but have turned violent in some states like Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto, leading to deaths and destruction of property. The Conversation Africa asked historian Toyin Falola about how young Nigerians can be agents of change in politics.
How can young Nigerians save democracy?
The current protests by young people are one way of safeguarding the Nigerian situation. It reminds the ruling class of the need to prioritise their interests and listen to their plight. Demonstrations have always been a successful means of highlighting the need to respect the principles of democracy.
In Sudan, following the fall of Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, protests led to the formation of a coalition government with the military, and a roadmap for a civilian government through elections. Since the Arab Spring, youth movements have led demonstrations across Africa against dictatorship in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
However, to save Nigerian democracy, people must think beyond protest. The French Revolution would not have been successful without a well-thought-out political strategy to bring the government from the lofty height of the elites to the people.
If the 2013 #OccupyNigeria, 2020 #EndSARS, and 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests are not to be just empty exercises, Nigerians must follow them with active political consciousness. It does not end on the streets; people must intentionally hold the government accountable. They must also demand ideological leadership, that is, leaders who stand for particular ideologies, before, during, and after elections in the country. As a change agent, the youth must diversify their efforts towards political relevance and transformation. They must not rely on protests alone.
To safeguard Nigerian democracy, the youth must be deliberate in desiring democratic tenets, including freedom of the press, electoral sanctity, checks and balances, and strict adherence to the rule of law.
What role can young people play in holding the government to account?
The political transformation of the nation requires a mechanism that makes the government accountable.
It would not be out of place for young people to create a Policy Evaluation and Monitoring Commission that would be co-headed by the leadership of youth movements and bodies. This commission would receive reports from the general public on lagging government policies and projects, as well as investigate and sensitise the nation about them. This could be followed by pressure on the government and continuous online and physical reactions to those policies, or demands for the execution of projects.
In the early stages of the colonial political parties, different civil groups and others had some of these activities as their initial core values. The resistance to the Anglo Defence Pact, until its abrogation in 1962, and the Structural Adjustment Programme in 1989, and others, are some examples.
If one person is corrupt, the efforts of all are jeopardised. Young people must keep watch over whether politicians keep their political promises through their administrative actions. They must blow the whistle when they see problems.
People must coordinate their efforts to monitor government projects, all along the chain from policy to execution. They must ask questions about the delivery of planned projects and the abuse of opportunities created by the government.
What role can young people play in making public policy?
Can you be an effective agent of change from the sidelines? Maybe. But it is more certain if you are part of decision-making processes and the enforcement of policies.
At the beginning of Obafemi Awolowo’s involvement in politics, he was a nationalist and journalist. He criticised government decisions and policies, calling for Nigerian independence at the risk of government backlashes. Awolowo must have realised that the best way to be an effective change agent is not to merely be on the sidelines. He followed his path through the Nigerian Youth Movement and became a prominent hero of the country’s democracy. Similar stories could be told about Nnamdi Azikwe, the first ceremonial president of Nigeria between 1960 and 1963. He left journalism for active politics to realise his political aspirations.
There is a need for the Nigerian youth to coordinate their fronts and become strong political blocs that become part of decision-making processes.
No change will be achieved if the youth are a few steps away from the seats of power. Young Nigerians must become part of the political fabric of the society, they must not be aloof.
In the next election, as many young Nigerians as possible should run for election for legislative seats and other political positions. This would influence the policy-making processes of the nation. The youth will have an official mandate to act as watchdogs over government.
What role can youth play in advocacy?
Before independence, young people proposed policies that would encourage more participation of Nigerians in the decision-making processes of the country. They also recommended policies for the effective administration of the colony. Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro and others who championed the cause of Nigerian Independence were young students.
Even if the nation seems ungovernable or difficult, the young people must evaluate its different challenges and recommend policies and laws, and advocate for their adoption and enforcement. If those in political positions do not think, it would not be out of place for the young people, who are mostly affected, to think for them.
This article was first published by the Conversation:
