16 Pages
3952 Words
Introduction Of the Importance Of Youth Participation In Politics
Background
The politics of Nigeria take place inside the structure of a"federal, presidential, representative democratic republic" in which administrative control is used through the government. According to the report which was published through the Freedom House in the year 2011 it has been said that Nigeria is"Party free"(Jacob, 2020, p. 06). However, on April 26, 2020, the journalist of"The World Press Freedom Index" in a survey of 180 countries provided 115th rank to Nigeria.
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The country is facing enormous challenges regarding development and also the requirement of the reduction in the rely on oil regarding exports and income, diversification in its sources of foreign exchange, mitigation of the gaps which is there in infrastructure, creation of strong and also effective institutions and also making the identification of the issues of governance and providing the strength to the finance of the public.
The country is also in crisis because of the conflict which is there in the northern portion of the country. The conflict has been going on for decades and has been powered by the"Islamist militant group Boko Haram"(Omaka-Amariet al. 2020 p. 07).However, because of this conflict thousands of women and girls have been kidnapped and they have forced some of them to become suicide bombers.
The biggest threat faced by the country is regarding its security Boko Haram and its separation from the"Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA)".The events of violence which is having a link with the Boko Haram group have doubled in the year 2015 since the government of the country started the crucial offensive dislodging the groups of Boko Haram through the territory that has been controlled.
Research problem
It is important for Nigeria that its young youth makes effective participation in the politics of Nigeria because they are having the advantage that they can play the most crucial role in their development and also the development of their communities. It will also provide them with the support to learn important skills of life and make the development in their knowledge regarding their rights of humans and also for citizenship (Ufua et al. 2021, p. 07). They were also able to make the promotion of positive civic action. The youth of any society is seen as the engine which is having the ability to do the effective growth and development of the country. It is because they offer the labor force regarding the manufacturing of goods and services so that they would be able to take advantage of those effects (Dumbili and Henderson, 2020, p. 03).
Research Aim
The participation of the youth is making the involvement of the people of youth in the process of decision-making (Ayindeet al.2020, p. 02). The concept is having a relation to the plan of"citizenship, personal development and participation in society".
Research Objectives
- To conduct the literature review of the challenges and barriers to youth participation in Nigeria politics
- To evaluate the challenges and barriers regarding the participation of the youth in the politics of Nigeria
- To provide recommendations for the mitigation of challenges and barriers regarding the participation of the youth in the politics of Nigeria
Research Question
- What are the challenges and barriers faced by the youth in the participation of the politics of Nigeria identified through the literature review?
- What are the challenges and barriers regarding the participation of the youth in the politics of Nigeria by critical evaluation?
- What are the suggestions required to be followed for the mitigation of challenges and barriers regarding the participation of the youth in the politics of Nigeria?
Chapter 2 – Literature Review
There are many challenges which are making affect the participation of the youth in the politics of Nigeria. Therefore, the literature review aims to make the identification of the challenges and barriers which are facing the youth in Nigeria regarding logic. Therefore, the challenges and barriers faced by the youth of Nigeria are:
Challenge 1
"Over-dependence on oil"
Nigeria has a huge dependence on oil regarding revenue. The country is continuously suffering through the effects of the disease called the Dutch. The disease has been started from the time when oil has been created which is from the 1960s and it provides all of its focus mostly on the oil resources because of which the country is having the ability that it would be vital to get a good return through the manufacturing of oil (Ogunode, Atobaukaand Ayoko, 2023, p. 09). The continuous dependence on the revenue of oil puts the lives and the livelihoods of the Nigerians in danger and also the social unity in the country (Harrison, Reillyand Creswell, 2020, p. 07). However, through the graph which has been pasted below, it can be easily seen that oil makes a contribution of just 9% of the GDP of the country in the year 2020. The country is considered the second-largest manufacturer of gas and oil in Africa (Iwelunmor et al. 2020, p. 06). The country is the major exporter of crude oil and products of petroleum to the United States of America.
However, through the graph which has been pasted above, it can be easily seen that oil makes a contribution of just 9% of the GDP of the country in the year 2020. All over the world, Nigeria is in the sixth position as the manufacturer of crude oil however, it provides support to the country in generating 95% of the foreign revenue of the country and also 80% of the total revenue of the Nigerian government. The industry of oil only helps in creating around 65,000 direct jobs whereas more than 2, 50,000 indirect jobs in the country. Therefore, many residents of theNiger Delta depend on their livelihood and live on farming and fishing but the spills of oil destroy the water and land (Olaore, Adejareand Udofia, 2021, p. 04).
Justification of the Challenge
Nigeria has been the source of oil for a lot of countries and it has been exporting the oil resources since a long. Due to this the old politicians and even the administration of Nigeria has focused on attaining the oil resources from the ground and exporting it to other countries to build good trade relationships with the superpower countries like the UK, the USA and other superior countries. As discussed by Orubu et al. (2020, p.76), in this process the political sector has forgot the other sectors and industries for improvement. The word has become advanced most of the superior countries have focused on their economy by bringing different business industries and the process of internationalization. Young politicians would be able to bring in new technologies to the country which is much needed now.
Solution
- Participation of more young candidates in the politics of Nigeria
- Giving value to the opinions and perspectives of the young politicians
- Giving Opportunity to the young candidates to handle the finance and business departments
Challenge 2
"Restricted access to functional and qualitative education"
The government of Nigeria makes huge progress in the outcome of education but then also many young people are not have the basic knowledge which is necessary to proving support for their post-school life. However, under the scheme of the UBE high enrolment has been identified through the report in many of the states of Nigeria (Adebisiet al.2021, p. 03). It has also identified there are high rates of early dropouts, repetition of grades and poor quality of education which mean that young people are poorly prepared for work and life.
However, according to the report of the"National Bureau of Statistics"of the year 2006 said that 33% of the people of the country who are around 15 years old or above are not able to read or write in any language. Therefore, it has been observed that the higher rate of literacy in the urban area is 79.6% whereas the completion rate of primary school at that level of national is in dismal (Gezaet al. 2021, p. 03). It has also reported in the report that only 47% of the children are only able to go to secondary school of which 69.3.5 is of urban and 37.5% are rural.
The country also faces a shortage in the availability of fracture for education so, that they would be able to provide the best quality and functional education to the children (Ogunmodede, Ogunsanwo and Manyong, 2020, p. 06). If the goals which have been developed through the Millennium are achieved then only, they would be able to provide good education to the children of Nigeria and their youth. The content of the curriculum and the delivery of the system of the school in the country are too poor because of which the country very hardly has the requirement regarding post-school employment. The penetration of ICT has become insignificant for the majority of children and youth by excluding the rich (Nwajiuba et al. 2020, p. 05).
Justification of the Challenge
The education sector of a country decides the future of a country because the education that the youth and children are going to get will be applied in the improvement of the country. Though Nigeria has shown a lot of progress in the education sector but they still lag behind a lot of countries in terms of education. As commented by Usman & Chinyere (2021, p.20), Nigeria is still following the traditional education system and a lot of rural areas in the country have not been provided with the right of basic education. Lack of opportunities for further studies has restricted their growth and knowledge. In this case, the participation of young politicians is needed as they are aware of the loopholes in the current education system of Nigeria.
Solution
- The young politicians need to evaluate the education policies that the other developed countries are following and need to make changes accordingly
- The students should be provided with higher study courses once they finish their high school so that they do not have to go other countries for higher education
- The young politicians need to focus on providing the basic education to the rural areas where education has not reached yet (Orubu et al. 2020, p.76).
Challenge 3
Concerns regarding employment
The People are having huge concerns regarding employment which is seen as a systematic issue in the country. However, in the fourth quarter of the year 2020, the rate of unemployment in the country was 33.3% which was 6% high compared to the report o which has been issued in the second quarter of the year 2020 (Gezaet al. 2021, p. 07). Therefore, in the second quarter of the year 2020, the unemployment rate of the country was 27.1% the rate of underemployment has been decreased in quarter two of the year 2020 it was 28.6% and it becomes 22.8% (Dayet al. 2020, p. 03). Additionally, one of the most important reasons regarding the huge youth of Nigeria who are under the age of 24 is unemployed that they are studying full time because of they are not available for doing work (Akamike et al. 2020, p. 05). Nigeria has a high population of the people who are inhabitants and the country is having a high demand for opportunities for education for the young youth of the country (Dawadi et al.2021, p. 06).
Justification of the Challenge
The low employment rate has affected the business sector of the country. He obvious reason for the unemployment issue is the lack of industries and opportunities. In order to tackle the unemployment, the active participation of the young candidates in the policymaking and administration is needed. As stated by Ayoadeet al. (2021, p.8), lack of good quality education and less industries are the main reasons of this unemployment rate. Due to this unemployment, the food crisis and mall nutrition often appear in the country. Young politicians need to focus on bringing in more business industries to the country. More opportunities to the young people of the country need to be provided.
Solution
- The young politicians need to focus on providing skill-based courses and education to the youth (Usman & Chinyere, 2021, p.20).
- The country needs to focus on bringing more industries in the country to provide employment to the young generation
- Different SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) needs to be developed to create more opportunities of jobs.
Summary of challenges
Drivers to Participate |
Challenge 1: Over-dependence on oil |
Challenge 2: Restricted access to quality education |
Challenge 3: Concerns regarding employment |
Awareness and Engagement |
Limited awareness due to focus on oil industry |
Insufficient education hamper political awareness |
High unemployment rates can discourage |
Education and Skills |
Lack of education diversification, leading to a lack of skills in politics (Orubu et al. 2020, p.76) |
Limited access to quality education affects political competence |
Unemployment leaves many youth with no practical skills for politics (Usman & Chinyere, 2021, p.20) |
Economic Resources |
Economy heavily reliant on oil revenue affects funding for youth in politics |
Limited access to quality education can lead to economic disparities |
High unemployment results in financial instability, hindering political involvement |
Representation Opportunities |
Young politicians struggle to compete with established oil-focused candidates |
Limited access to quality education limit opportunities to enter politics (Ayoade et al. 2021, p.8) |
Unemployment reduces opportunities for youth to engage in politics (Usman & Chinyere, 2021, p.20) |
Table 1: Summary of challenges
Chapter 3 – Research Design
Research Methodology
Qualitative research is defined as the process of natural inquiry which makes a deep understanding of the social phenomena inside the natural settings. It provides the focus regarding why instead of what regarding the social phenomena and having the dependence on the direct experiences of human beings (Igweet al.20221, p. 07).
The quantitative method highlights the measurement of objectives and doing the"statistical, mathematical, or numerical" data analysis which has been gathered by"polls, questionnaires, and surveys"or through the manipulation of the statistical data which was pre-existing by making the use of the techniques of computational (Etimand Daramola, 2020, p. 07).
The mixed method of research makes use of both qualitative and also quantitative information so that it would be able to provide the answers to the research questions (Maarouf, 2019, p. 04).
However, this research paper is going to make use of qualitative method of data collection because it will help in giving an understanding regarding the topic which will be deeper, more detailed and gathered through using historic data (Uduji, Okolo-Obasiand Asongu, 2021, p. 05). Qualitative data is having the capacity that it can inspect the viewpoint, stories or feelings that the subject or participants are having.
Research Strategy
The primary data, data has been collected through the researcher itself by arranging"surveys, interviews, experiments"which have been designed especially for getting knowledge and also for solving the issues which are there in the research at hand (Radebe, 2019, p. 04). In simple words, the primary data is collected directly through the people who are containing experiences regarding the issues or the topic of the research which the researcher is doing. This kind of data has been collected by the researcher by conducting surveys or interviews.
Secondary data are those data which already exists and has been already collected through other peoples or firms regarding different motives. Normally it is readily available but sometimes special permission can be required to access it (Gezaet al. 2021, p. 07). In the secondary data method, the researchers gathered the information through"government publications, websites, books, journal articles, internal records etc".
However, this research paper is going to make use of secondary data in which the researcher makes use of"government publications, websites, books, journal articles, internal records etc"as the source for the collection of data. The researcher decided to make use of the secondary method because it will help save time and also it is less expensive compared to the primary data (Chavulaet al.2022, p. 06). It also makes the primary data collected more specific through the support of the secondary data. It also helps in making the identification of the gaps which are there and what additional information is required to be collected.
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Website
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