NILDS Hosts National Youth Mentorship Conference On Sustainable Democratic Governance

National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in partnership with Mande Global Impact Consulting Ltd, African Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF), Next Generation Civic Initiatives and other partners, hosted the National Youth Mentorship Conference on Sustainable Democratic Governance at the NILDS Permanent Site, Abuja.

The conference, themed “Building Sustainable Pathways for Civic Leadership, Electoral Participation, and Democratic Governance,” brought together policymakers, electoral officials, youth leaders, academics and civil society organisations to explore practical pathways for strengthening youth participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.

The Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, was represented by Dr. Chris Ngala, who delivered the Institute’s special remarks. He emphasized that youth inclusion must go beyond symbolic representation and electoral mobilisation to meaningful participation in policy development, decision-making and leadership.

The conference featured goodwill messages from distinguished guests, including Dr. Arome Salifu, Executive Director, African Youth Growth Foundation; Prof. Amupitan (SAN), Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Arc. Naseer Suleiman Chamber, President, UNYC; Olayemi Atakan, Chairman, Next Generation Civic Initiatives; and Amb. Prince Kehinde Adeyinka. Prof. Sam Egwu, Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC Plateau State, presented a paper on “Addressing Voter Apathy in Nigeria’s Political System: Risks and Implications for Good Governance.”

The conference also featured panel discussions on voter apathy, electoral integrity, civic leadership, digital democracy and youth political inclusion, with stakeholders examining the barriers limiting meaningful youth participation in governance.

Participants identified the high cost of political participation, voter apathy, political manipulation and socio-economic challenges as key obstacles to youth engagement, while calling for stronger civic education, mentorship, leadership development and greater use of digital technology to promote inclusive democratic participation.

The conference reaffirmed the importance of creating sustainable pathways for young Nigerians to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience required to contribute meaningfully to democratic governance and national development.