The House of Representatives has challenged Nigerian youths to take charge of the country’s democratic future by actively participating in the 2027 general elections, declaring that the credibility of the polls will depend largely on the choices and actions of young voters.
The call was made on Thursday during the Youth Town Hall, one of the major events of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, House Majority Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said the 10th House had placed youth inclusion and empowerment at the heart of its legislative agenda.
He described young Nigerians as the country’s largest voting bloc, stressing that they have the power to shape the nation’s political future through active civic engagement.
“The quality of our elections and the future of our democracy will, to a large extent, be determined by the choices, conduct and active involvement of young Nigerians,” Ihonvbere said.
He revealed that recommendations from previous Youth Town Hall meetings had influenced ongoing constitutional amendment proposals and other national policy reforms.
According to him, the House has also passed and proposed key youth-focused bills, including the NYSC Reform Bill, the Nigerian Youth Welfare Scheme Fund Bill sponsored by Speaker Abbas, and a constitutional amendment seeking to reduce the minimum age for governorship candidates from 35 to 30 years.
Ihonvbere said lawmakers were also pursuing reforms in education financing, taxation, electricity, cybersecurity and the digital economy to create more opportunities for young Nigerians in innovation, entrepreneurship and employment.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, praised the National Assembly for institutionalising the Youth Town Hall, describing it as a platform that allows young Nigerians to contribute directly to governance.
He said the Federal Government had introduced programmes to boost entrepreneurship, digital skills, vocational training and access to funding, including the Nigerian Youth Academy, youth enterprise support schemes and the proposed Youth Green Fund.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, urged youths to embrace innovation, technology and artificial intelligence to remain globally competitive.
Halilu disclosed that NASENI’s Innovate Nigeria programme provides grants of up to ₦250 million to support innovators and technology-driven enterprises across the country.
Yiaga Africa also urged young Nigerians to register to vote, reject violence, fake news and hate speech, and hold elected leaders accountable based on competence and performance rather than ethnic or religious sentiments.
The organisation commended the National Assembly for promoting transparency and citizen participation through the annual Open Week, insisting that meaningful youth participation remains critical to the success of the 2027 general elections.
