“Why are youths being forced into politics? It’s obvious we are not really interested in all this, why are we being asked to get involved?” a student had queried late July at a two-day roundtable on political education at the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada.

Though the question seems harmless, it reflects the abysmally low-level of consciousness among students of higher institution and majority of Nigerian youths.  

Unlike in the 60s through to the 90s when vibrant Nigerian youths played vital roles that led to the country’s independence, fought military dictatorship and actively participated in the enthronement of democracy in the country, the youths of today have gone to sleep. 

While the country’s political arena boils continuously as a result of the activities of selfish leaders and politicians, who continually misuse power and position themselves as nothing more than incurable kleptocrats with no concrete plans for a better future for the youths, many Nigerian youths still wallow in political apathy. Without doubt, if nothing is done, the deafening silence emanating from this segment of the population will only ensure that things keep falling apart. 

In a bid to remedy the situation, the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), in partnership with the Centre for Critical Thinking and Resourceful Research in Africa (CECTRRA) organised a two-day roundtable to raise political awareness among students in tertiary institutions. The German-based Rosa Luxembourg Foundation (RLF) supported the programme, and the first beneficiaries were students of the University of Abuja. 

In his welcome address, the Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Chido Onumah, said the Centre organized the roundtables as a way of addressing political apathy among students and youths. 

Onumah said the present political state of the country was worrisome. He called for a return of the political activism of the 70s and 90s. He noted that in the past, Student Unions were so strong that they were instrumental in curbing of official excesses in the society. Onumah described as appalling how students are now being used as political thugs and agents to feed the selfish political agenda of politician and members of the ruling class.

“It is tragic that the once vibrant National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has become comatose and not lived up to the national expectation of a progressive democratic force that it used to be a few years ago,” he noted. He said Nigerian students had been in the front line of effort to change unequal social relations in the country as far back as the mid-1920s with the creation of the West African Students’ Union (WASU), which was partly pioneered by Nigerian students in London. 

According to him, “Nigerian students fought against colonialism and the emancipation of Africans. The National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) inherited the same idealism from WASU and reinforced its position as a platform of change and political consciousness.” He said AFRICMIL would work to establish political education clubs in the country’s tertiary institutions. 

In her remarks, the Representative of the RLF, Comrade Angela Odah, commended AFRICMIL and CECTRRA for putting together the roundtables, noting that the Foundation, which is very much interested in the active participation of youth in politics, would consider further collaboration to take the roundtables to other higher institutions to bring about progressive and positive impact in Nigeria’s politics. 

Dr. Abubakar Garba Umar Kari, a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology of the University of Abuja and Ms Goodness Michael, a political economist and media educator, spoke on Political Education and Political Miseducation in the Age of New/Social Media. They observed that a notable tool being used to make the youth powerless is the social media. According to them, social media is being used to misinform and mis-educate young people.  

The two resource persons urged students to be wary of being misinformed or mis-educated through social media, as most materials posted are either full of bias or mischief, while some are outright false. 

Dr. Ernest Uchenna Ereke of the Department of Political Science of the University of Abuja, who was represented by Collins Ogbu, and Dr. Magdalene Igbolo of the Department of Sociology of the University, spoke on Critical Thinking and Political Activism: The Role of Students in National Transformation. 

Dr. Ereke said students had a duty to engage in the politics of the society and demand what is rightfully theirs. He said while better-informed youths could mean progress for the country, Nigerian youths and students have been deliberately underdeveloped so they don’t think of demanding for good standard of living or even rising up to take charge.

“If you take a tour of classrooms, lecture halls, hostels and other necessities in the schools and higher institutions, then you will know how much injustice has been committed against Nigerian students,” he said. 

On her part, Dr. Igbolo stated that at the early stage of independence, the country was governed by young people such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Yakubu Gowon and others. She noted that those who took active role in the pre-colonial era, such as Herbert Macaulay, Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Ahmadu Bello, were all young people. 

Igbolo pointed out that although youths and students form the active population of the country, the leadership of Nigeria had fully become gerontocratic in nature. According to her, “We no longer have young people who can aspire to become political leaders or be involved in positions of leadership and become policy makers, so much so that what we see is a recycling of the same people that were there before independence and after independence. They are still holding on to power up until now as we speak and even in 2019, some of them are still going to re-contest.” 

She said it was sad that youths have been silent despite being robbed of their rightful place. She noted that one of the reasons young people don’t think of taking up the mantle of leadership is because they are not being actively engaged in the society, adding that there is a deliberate attempt by the ruling class to keep the youths out of nation building and decision making. 

Dr. Igbolo noted that while most youths would simply want to be personal assistants, doing minor jobs for politicians, others have resorted to participating in self-destructive vices such as drug trafficking, prostitution, and armed robbery. “Any society that cannot replace itself or cannot transfer critical values to the next generation for its survival is only heading for destruction,” she added. 

The Head of Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, Prof Yusuf Zoaka, whose department hosted the roundtables said there was need for students and youths to be proactive and to rise against the injustice meted out to them and their parents by selfish politicians. In his words, “These politicians are thieves. They have oppressed your fathers, they are now oppressing you. Don’t be their friends. Their children have gone to school abroad, to come back and take over, while you remain subdued.” 

He advised students not to be drawn into the ethno-religious game being played by politicians in order to continue holding on to power while making selfish decisions that have adverse effect on citizens.

Badmus Basit, a participant said youths were obviously unaware that they could be part of the decision-making process of the country. He commended the organisers of the event, saying that the programme had given them a direction on why and how to demand good governance. 

Another student, Peter Temidayo, said the political education programme was initiated at the right time as some students who were unhappy about the state of the nation had questions locked up within them with no one to provide answers on the way forward. Temidayo wished the programme could be duplicated in other universities as well. 

Nwanchukwu Innocent, also a student, was of the view that political education of students was very much needed as it would help raise the social and political consciousness of students. “The organisers of the programme have been able to identify the problem, and if this could be done in other universities as soon as possible, then there is hope for the 2019 general elections,” he said.