Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) runs an annual legislative internship programme at the National Assembly. The internship, funded by the European Union (EU), is targeted at young Nigerian graduates between 21 and 35 years and creates a platform for them to gain first-hand knowledge of the workings of the Nigerian National Assembly. This involves placement in different committees of the Senate and House of Representatives under the supervision of a Committee Clerk. The internship was piloted in 2013 with the support of then Department for International Development (DFID) and continued with the EU support in 2018. Now in its 7th cycle, it has enabled over 200 young people to not only learn about the lawmaking, representation, and oversight functions of the legislature, but also interact with notable personalities invited over the course of the programme to share knowledge with them.
PLAC BEAM spoke to some interns that participated in the 7th 2021 internship programme on their experiences and role of young people in the Nigerian democracy. Their responses are replicated below.
FAHAD ABUBAKAR LONGMAN – Sokoto: (male, interned with the House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement)
No matter what the challenges are, no matter how difficult it is, there is that pushing that needs to be done by the young people.
Just recently, the Vice President said that the young people shouldn’t just sit and wait for the positions to reach them. Rather, they should stand up and fight for those positions. So, I suggest that young people should engage in political activities right from their wards, from their states, up to the national level.
ADEWALE SHOKOYA – OGUN STATE: (male, interned with the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission)
Young people need to take advantage of their numbers. We are actually the ones with the highest number when it comes to voting power. We need to take advantage of it, we need to speak in one voice, we need to come out en masse in this coming 2023 election to let the system know that we are here and can make things happen. If we believe that we are the ones who own the future, the future is now and we need to take advantage of it now and continue to try until the vision and the future become reality.
Civil Society groups have been doing a lot. The advantage we have today of this internship is also an offshoot of civil society. In the 2019 general election, there was a lot of improvement in the electoral process because of the civil society groups. They came together with the help of Situation Room. I believe that they are still going to use their voice to effect good governance in Nigeria through the electoral process.
AMINA ABDULAZEEZ – KEBBI STATE (female, interned in the House of Representatives Commission on Anti-Corruption)
Young people can do a whole lot. For example, what we are doing here by participating in the activity such as internship; when they find the opportunity, they can apply. Even in their community, they can do civil engagements, they can be active citizens, they can join their hands and work with other people that have been there. That is an opportunity for them to learn the ropes and when the time comes for them to pick up the mantle of leadership, they will be able to do it very well.
I can say I know a bit about civil society. I started my career with the civil society when I graduated from the university, and I have seen the contributions of civil society a whole lot. Even though I graduated as a student of Political Science, most of the things I got to know about politics is through the engagement and my interactions with the civil society organisations. So, yes, I think the civil societies are really doing a lot in bringing young people on board and educating them on what they need to know.
MICHAEL BABAFOLARIN AYENI – EKITI STATE (male, interned in the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs)
The youth can get more involved on how the government is run, how the legislature is run. They can partake in sensitisations; they can partake in positive awareness.
Civil society groups play a role (in this regard), but I feel more could be done because there are lots of youth who don’t know what people know from this current internship. PLAC as a body is doing extremely wonderful and it’s very good for 40 people every year to have this. If the number could increase, if other organisations could do something like this, I think there will be massive change all round in different sectors of the country.
AJIKE PRECIOUS OLUWADAMILOLA – ONDO STATE: (male, interned in the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations)
There are so many hinderances, but I think young people should learn to start small. Most people that are occupying positions today started from somewhere and they started small. So, I think young people should learn to join the ladder, though they may find this advice not palatable. So, basically joining the ladder is joining a political party from their ward. Even if they don’t have money to fund their activities, they can volunteer their skills, talent or their time at the activities of the political parties. That way, the leaders in the political parties at the grassroot level will notice them.
Prior to 2021, I didn’t know much about civil society organizations. But in 2021, I have made friends with people in the civic space and I really commend their efforts.
UMARU ZAYYANU BILYA – TARABA STATE (male, who is hearing impaired and interned in the House of Representatives Committee on Disability Affairs, spoke through an interpreter by sign language)
Truly, young people have power. One of the most important things that they can do is to fully participate in the election process and fully involved in political-party activities. If young people do those things, I am very confident that their voices will be heard in governance.
Civil society organizations contribute a lot in Nigeria. One of the most important roles they play is gathering young persons together to train them, teach them, the importance of being themselves, to have confidence in themselves, believing that the country is theirs.
GOODNESS OLUCHI OBIJURU – IMO STATE (female, interned in the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service)
Young people can continue to speak out. If they decide to keep quiet because of what is going on in the country, then it will be worse. Young people should also engage themselves in political activities. The youth should not stop talking. The more we talk, one day our voices must be heard, and the change that we desire, we must get it.
Most of my work after NYSC have really been with NGOs and I have been opportuned to work at the community level with them. I feel they are doing a lot. Civil society groups cannot be separated from national development. They are the ones who from the grassroots are pushing for change. They are the ones making the voices of the people to be heard in areas where their voices may not
OZEMHOYA DONATUS IKHANE – EDO STATE (male, interned in the Senate Committee on INEC)
The youths need to know their place in the society, constituting about 60 something per cent of the entire population means that the youths have a strong position in the society and of course, they should not jeopardise it. A scenario where we have a youth leader position among the political parties occupied by someone who is over 60 should no longer obtain in our present-day society. I think the youths should rise up, stem the tide and challenge the status quo, observe norms and also see how to change things in their own favour. Again, I think the youths should leverage on the civil space.
For example, the space created by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, that gives them a platform to engage the system, air their voices, to be heard, and use this civil space in agitating but then, within the confines of the law.
BUSHRAH TEMITOPE BALOGUN – LAGOS STATE (female, interned in the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology)
I think it is time for young people to know that they have the power, they have the number. We are talking about democracy where everything is hinged on the power of the number. We need to understand that we have a role to play and for us to do this, we need to get involved, we need to come onboard, we need to arm ourselves with that knowledge to be able to contribute effectively and efficiently to issues. We also need to be part of the process and vote because these are ways you can get involved in governance.
NGOs and civil society organisations do so much in terms of holding the government accountable. Without them, probably there is not so much citizens would achieve because they serve as an intermediary between the people and the government.
Cover Photo Credit: PLAC, 2021 Legislative Interns