The European Union has warned Nigeria not to take democracy for granted.
Also, it stressed the need to “increase the participation of youths in governance building on the momentum of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run campaign.”
The EU Ambassador and Head of its Delegation (Nigeria and ECOWAS), Ketil Karlsen, said this on Wednesday, during the orientation and induction programme for Legislative Interns organized by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre in Abuja.
Karlsen, called on the youths to contribute towards strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and also seize the opportunity the programmes offers youths through the National Assembly to engage actively in securing a participatory process for democracy in Nigeria.
He said “The consolidation of democracy must not be taken for granted anywhere, not within the European borders, certainly not in Africa or Nigeria either; it is something that must be developed.
“Looking at the growing population of Nigeria, about 60 per cent are young, it is really (not) strange to see how the National Assembly is opening up the doors for the youths.
“Another set of youth ambassadors from different states are taking part in the process of what is the bedrock of democracy of any democratic society in the National Assembly. So, this is really a vital signal of engagement from the Parliament, one example of how we work together to support democracy in Nigeria.”
More so, Clement Nwankwo, the Executive Director of Policy Legislative Advocacy Centre, while speaking at the event, stressed the importance of youth involvement in the legislative process. He said the 10 weeks long programme seeks to improve participants’ knowledge about the legislature and its role in democracy.
