Enugu, Nigeria – 6th December 2024 – In a bold initiative to bridge the growing divide between youth and lawmakers, the Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs) with support from Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF) and Leap Africa is set to host the Elevating Youth Voices, Building Trust and Civic Cohesion project Town Hall Meeting which will take place on Saturday, 7th December 2024
The town hall meeting themed; Bridging the Gap: Building Trust between Youth and Lawmakers, is designed to address civic apathy and disengagement, aims to strengthen trust, and optimism towards lawmakers among youths in Enugu East Senatorial District, bridging the communication gap between youth and their representatives and inspiring lawmakers to take action based on discussions from the town-hall meeting.
Over the last nine months, NGYouthSDGs has worked with five civic champions and twenty-five volunteers to build their understanding of civic engagement and they have organised focused group discussions to improve youth participation in local democracy.
We have organised key informant interviews with elected government officials like Honourable Obiajulu Ugwu, Honourable Ani Johnson Samuel and Honourable Aniagu Ilobauchi who are representing Enugu East Senatorial Districts at the Enugu House of Assembly to improve the environment for meaningful youth engagement.
This is important because young people make about 60 per cent of the Enugu state population and their active engagement in local democracy is pivotal for sustainable development. With our young democracy and the need for active youth participation, we hope that our project can help improve the trust between young people and elected government officials starting from Enugu East Senatorial District.
NGYouthSDGs Founder Joshua Alade said “Young people are pivotal for our democracy and their active engagement in the process as active citizens is pivotal to socioeconomic progress. This town hall is an opportunity to bridge the gap by providing young people with the skills to engage proactively with lawmakers and educate lawmakers about the unique needs of young people. We hope that over the next one year we will have created a framework for collaboration between youth and elected government officials that allows for improved civic engagement.”
According to the project manager, Ruth Ogwuche, “Through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews, the project has gathered young people’s and lawmakers perception
on the reason for civic desert and civic apathy in Enugu State. These findings will form the basis for the discussions at the town hall meeting aimed at rebuilding trust, promoting meaningful youth participation, and co-creating actionable solutions.”
Highlight of the townhall meeting:
The town hall will convene youth stakeholders like community leaders, members representing Enugu East Senatorial District, civil society and youth group representatives and young people especially people living with disabilities.
Key objectives of the townhall meeting:
- Facilitation of Constructive Dialogue: To create an inclusive platform where young people and lawmakers can engage in open and transparent dialogue.
- Addressing Civic Desert and Apathy: To discuss the reasons behind youth disengagement from political and civic activities, based on findings from focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDI) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with young people and lawmakers.
- Enhance Civic Cohesion: To co-create solutions aimed at building trust and strengthening relationships between youth and elected officials, ultimately enhancing civic cohesion in Enugu East Senatorial District.
- Encourage Legislative Action: To stimulate lawmakers to take actionable steps based on the discussions and feedback from young people to address civic apathy and promote youth participation in governance.
Expected Outcomes of the Town Hall Meeting;
- Increased Trust and Optimism Among Youth: The town hall will foster a stronger sense of trust and optimism towards lawmakers among participants, as young people will feel heard and acknowledged in discussions about governance and civic engagement.
- Lawmakers Take Action: Lawmakers are encouraged to make commitments to address youth concerns and improve civic cohesion. They will be encouraged to act on feedback and recommendations arising from the town hall discussions.
- Strengthened Youth-Lawmakers Synergy: A more collaborative relationship between youth and lawmakers, where young people actively contribute to policy formulation and community development, in line with the principles for meaningful participation.
We hope that the action points from the conversation during the town hall will create an enabling environment for meaningful youth engagement and active youth participation in civics in the Enugu East Senatorial district.
About NGYouthSDGs
Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs) is a youth-led and youth-serving civil society organisation working with youth leaders and youth groups to advocate for meaningful youth engagement in policies and programs for youth to lead and thrive.
About Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF):
The NYFF Project, initiated in 2021, is a five-year initiative dedicated to nurturing youth leadership and activism in Nigeria by fostering outcomes-driven policy engagements and inclusive resourcing for medium and long-term national development. The NYFF embodies the collective determination to invest in the potential of Nigerian youth.
