Active youth participation a panacea for deepening democratic processes in Africa

Involvement in the democratic process among young people in Africa has improved (though not enough) and has prompted conscious development in various sectors of governance as young people have been encouraged to both register for and vote during elections. There is still relatively low participation of youths in electoral processes in African states.

There is also evidence to suggest that young people are unlikely to become more interested in voting with increased age. This is as a result of the subjected torture to its youth by suppression, killings, and servitude: jobless, denied of education, terrorized, and kept in military trenches. Different regimes and governments continue to use its organized state suppression to imprison and kill youths who oppose its government. As a result, African youths have become people deprived of all fundamental rights that they see no alternatives, but leave their country that often exposes them to danger and other life risking circumstances.

This is however not the way forward, as no democracy can succeed without the active participation of youths. To achieve meaningful democracy requires the full and active participation of young people and youth organizations in democratic processes at the local, national, regional and international levels. Young people are identified with higher propensity to engage in change. They also possess clear insight into the perception of change in society and the continuity of those changes; and they are the largest, most productive, most active and major driving force in society. It is with this common framework of understanding that the participation of African youth in Africa plays a significant role in building the continent, as well as in change and renewal of society. In essence, the role, the participation, and the influence of young people can be seen as a force of gravity on political, social, and religious movements in any society.

This is the reason why many social and political forces/movements consider it important to invest time and resources on young people as a mechanism of promoting and influencing their causes. Hence, one of the ways of making our young people productive citizens in the affairs of their country would be to focus on education and provide impetus on enhancing Africa’s future political process that provides our youth every opportunity to participate in the lives of their people. And to empower them to address the challenges we all face, and to train them to be agents of change and development, in a way that emboldens justice and democracy in future Africa, and not instilling politics that inspires violence and hatred in their society.

What is needed now is effort of all citizens to change the present picture and to build a healthy society by engaging our youth to expose themselves to the struggle, encouraging them to be leaders of the future, equipping them with knowledge and role they have in society, providing them with the venue to redouble their participation in the lives of their society, and developing their knowledge and awareness on the real issues facing Africa. African youths should be at the forefront of establishing a democratic African state that propels change and transformation as they did during the war for independence.

Ndukwu Michael Chikezie.